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NEW  YORK. 


1 


■•■A.pir's 


THE     GOTHIC     REVIVAL 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

NCSU  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/historyofgothicrOOeast 


*®  e  #aria:  gratia  dilecta:  Homimis 
tectnmbenedicta  tu  inter  mulieres: 


ctecct  conciptes  in  utcro  ct  paries  filimn: 
ct^ocabis  nomen  ejus  lefum: 


Ii)e  Snnnnciation:  part  of  a  mural 


painting  by  fljenry  holiday  in  tbe 


Cbanccl  of  ail  g  aintg'  Cbnrcb:  {lotting 
IFjill .  feilliam  ttSbite ;  f  S  a ;  architect: 


A     HISTORY 


OF  /    /?l     £^fs 


THE    GOTHIC    REVIVAI 


AN     ATTEMPT     TO     SHOW     HOW 

THE      TASTE      FOR      MEDIAEVAL      ARCHITECTURE 

WHICH     LINGERED     IN     ENGLAND     DURING    THE     TWO     LAST     CENTURIES 

HAS      SINCE      BEEN      ENCOURAGED      AND      DEVELOPED 


BY 


CHARLES     L.     EASTLAKE 


F.R.I.B.A.,  ARCHITECT 
AUTHOR     OF     '  HINTS     ON     HOUSEHOLD     TASTE ' 


'  Sic  volvenda  cstas  commuted  tempora  rerum, 
Quod  fuit  in  pretio,  fit  nulla  denique  honore : 
Porro  aliud  succedit,  et  e  contemtibus  exit, 
Inque  dies  magis  appetitur,  floretque  repcrtum 
Laudibus,  ct  miro  est  mortaleis  inter  honore  ' 

Lucretius 


LONDON 
LONGMANS,      GREEN,      AND      CO. 

NEW    YORK 
SCRIBNER,    WELFORD,     AND     CO. 

1872 


PREFACE. 


--ooXKc 


If  any  preface  to  this  book  be  needed,  it  should  perhaps 
take  the  form  of  an  ample  apology  for  the  time  which  has 
elapsed  between  its  original  announcement  and  its  publica- 
tion. During  that  interval,  and  in  such  leisure  as  more 
urgent  duties  left  at  my  disposal,  I  gradually  realised  the 
difficulties  of  the  task  which  I  had  undertaken. 

It  has  been  said  of  contemporary  history  that  its  events 
are  less  easy  to  ascertain  with  accuracy  than  those  of  past 
time.  For  my  own  part,  and  in  reference  to  this  work,  I  can 
testify  to  the  fact  that  much  information  which  I  imagined 
might  be  obtained  for  the  asking  has  cost  me  more  trouble 
to  procure  than  that  which  required  literary  research. 

As  it  is,  I  fear  that  the  following  pages  will  be  found 
deficient  in  many  details,  the  omission  of  which  I  regret, 
not  because  it  affects  in  any  material  degree  the  thread 
of  my  narrative,  but  because  in  describing  works  of  equal 
merit  or  importance  I  had  hoped  to  bestow  an  equal  atten- 
tion on  each,  and  this,  in  the  absence  of  necessary  particulars 
respecting  some  of  them,  has  not  always  been  possible. 


vi  Preface. 

If  I  have  not  ventured  to  dwell  at  any  length  on  the 
present  prospects  of  the  Revival,  or  attempted  to  enter 
into  details  respecting  the  application  of  Mediaeval  design 
to  the  specific  requirements  of  domestic  and  ecclesiastical 
architecture,  it  is  from  a  conviction  that  I  could  add  little 
or  nothing  to  what  has.  been  already  said  on  these  points. 
Mr.  G.  G.  Scott's  '  Remarks  on  Secular  and  Domestic  Archi- 
tecture,' and  Mr.  Bcresford-Hope's  '  English  Cathedral  of 
the  Nineteenth  Century,'  are  works  so  exhaustive  in  their 
nature,  and  so  practical  in  their  aim,  that  they  leave  scarcely 
a  plea  to  urge  or  a  suggestion  to  advance  in  the  interest  of 
modern  Gothic. 

My  own  object,  as  will  be  seen,  is  of  a  different  kind. 

For  some  years  past  it  has  seemed  to  me  that  the  causes 
which  brought  about,  and  the  events  which  attended,  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  revolutions  in  national  art  that  this 
country  has  seen  were  worthy  of  some  record,  if  only  to  serve 
as  a  link  between  the  past  and  future  history  of  English 
Architecture.  In  attempting  to  supply  this  record,  it  was 
my  intention  from  the  first  to  chronicle  facts  rather  than 
offer  criticisms,  and  where  I  have  departed  from  this  rule 
it  has  been  for  the  most  part  in  the  case  of  works  which 
illustrate  some  marked  change  in  the  progress  of  the  Revival. 

I    felt,   as  my  book  advanced,   that    technical    descriptions 


Preface.  vii 

of  even  noteworthy  buildings  would,  if  frequently  repeated, 
become  tedious  to  the  unprofessional  reader.  For  this  reason 
I  have  in  the  majority  of  instances  confined  such  descriptions 
to  the  Tabulated  List  appended  to  this  volume,  in  which  will 
be  found  a  selection  from  the  most  remarkable  structures  of  a 
Mediaeval  character  erected  by  various  architects  during  the 
last  fifty  years,  chronologically  arranged. 

In  the  choice  of  these  examples  I  have  been  guided  by 
various  considerations  ;  the  date  of  a  building,  its  local  influ- 
ence on  public  taste,  or  the  novel  character  of  its  design 
frequently  rendering  it,  in  relation  to  my  purpose,  an  object 
of  greater  interest  than  many  others  of  more  intrinsic  import- 
ance. This  explanation  will,  1  trust,  be  sufficient  to  account 
for  the  absence  of  many  works  of  acknowledged  excellence 
from  my  List,  which,  as  it  is,  has  reached  a  length  far  beyond 
what  I  had  anticipated  when  I  began  to  compile  it. 

Little  or  no  mention  has  been  made  of  '  Restorations  ' — 
partly  because  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  draw  a  definite 
line  between  those  wThich  have  been  a  simple  repair  of  old 
buildings,  and  others  which  have  required  archaeological  skill 
in  execution,  but  chiefly  because  in  either  case  such  works 
cannot  be  said  to  represent,  except  indirectly,  the  genuine 
progress  of  modern  architecture. 

The  large  proportion  of  engravings  which   illustrate  build- 


\  111 


Preface. 


ings  erected  between  i860  and  1870  as  compared  with  those 
of  former  \  ears  has  prevented  their  even  distribution  over  the 
volume.  This  is  hardly  satisfactory,  but  it  will  probably  be 
considered  a  less  evil  than  the  only  possible  alternative,  viz. 
theif  separation  from  the  text  to  which  they  relate.  I  may 
lure  observe  that  the  size  of  these  woodcuts  does  not  permit 
them,  though  very  fairly  executed,  to  convey  more  than  a 
general  idea  of  the  designs  represented,  and  that,  like  photo- 
graphic portraits,  they  never  flatter  the  original.  If  my  readers 
w  ill  kindly  remember  this,  I  make  no  doubt  that  the  architects 
concerned  will  be  equally  indulgent. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  '  Building  News  '  I  am  indebted  for 
permission  to  incorporate  with  this  volume  a  small  portion  of 
its  contents,  which  originally  appeared  in  that  journal.  To 
many  friends,  who  have  kindly  helped  me  with  information 
and  suggestions,  my  best  acknowledgments  are  due  for  their 
issistance  and  advice. 


Charles  L.  Eastlake. 


6  Upper  BtRKULtv  Street  Wlst, 
Hyde  Park,  W. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

Ancient  and  Modern  Art — Effect  of  Civilisation — Decline  of  Mediaeval  Art — Elizabethan 
Architecture — Dodsworth  and  Dugdale — The  '  Monasticon  Anglicanum' — Hollar  and 
King — Illustrations  of  the  'Monasticon' — Inigo  Jones — Archbishop  Laud — Durham 
Churches  — Sir  Henry  Wotton — Antiquaries  of  the  Seventeenth  Century — Dugdale's 
'History  of  St.  Paul's' — Old  St.  Paul's  Italianised — Royal  Commission  on  the  Cathe- 
dral— The  Fire  of  London    ......     pages   i-io. 

CHAPTER   II. 

Anthony  a  Wood — The  '  Athena?  Oxonienses ' — Transition  of  Style — Sir  Christopher 
Wren — His  Report  on  Salisbury  Cathedral — Seventeenth  Century  Gothic — Works 
at  Oxford — Thomas  Holt — Seventeenth  Century  Buildings  at  Oxford — University 
College — Tom  Tower,  Christchurch — Brasenose  College — Charles  Church,  Plymouth 
— Old  and  New  St.  Paul's — Wren's  Work  at  Westminster — St.  Mary  Aldermary — 
St.  Dunstan's-in-the-East — St.  Michael's,  Cornhill— Death  of  Wren  .     20-41 

CHAPTER   III. 

Horace  Walpole — His  Taste  for  Gothic — Strawberry  Hill — Description  of  the  Building  — 
Character  of  Walpole's  Gothic — Pedantry  of  the  Renaissance — Batty  Langley — 
Gothic  Architecture  '  improved  ' — The  Five  Orders  Gothicised — Batty  Langley's 
Designs  .........     42-54 

CHAPTER   IV. 

The  Georgian  Era — Additions  to  Hampton  Court — Eighteenth  Century  Gothic — Costessy 
Hall,  Norfolk — The  Revival  in  Scotland — William  Beckford — Fonthill  Abbey — 
Literature  of  the  Revival — Grose's  '  Antiquities  of  England  and  Wales ' — Carter's 
Works — Hearne's  •  Antiquities  of  Great  Britain  ' — Gough's  'Sepulchral  Monuments' 
Bentham  and  Willis — Their  'History  of  Gothic  and  Saxon  Architecture'   .     55-71 


x  Contents. 


CHAPTER   V. 

Difficulties  of  Classification — The  Works  of  Nash  and  James  Wyatt — Country  Mansions 
— Belvoir  Castle — Elvaston  Hall — Donnington  Hall — Hawarden  Castle — Ditton 
Park — Eaton  Hall — Seldon  House — Eastnor  Castle — Sir  Robert  Smirke — John 
Britton — His  early  Life  and  Literary  Career — The  'Beauties  of  Wiltshire,'  'Antiqui- 
ties of  Great  Britain,' and  'Cathedral  Antiquities' — Britton's  'Autobiography' — 
Pugin  and  Willson — Their  'Specimens  of  Gothic  Architecture' — The  Age  of 
Plagiarism  .......  pages  72-90 

CHAPTER   VI. 

A  Retrospect — James  Essex — Wyatt's  Professional  Practice — His  '  Improvements 'and  Re- 
storations— Old  and  Modern  Sculpture — Restoration  of  Henry  VII. 's  Chapel — 
Public  Confidence  in  Wyatt — New  College  Chapel,  Oxford — John  Carter — His 
Antiquarian  Tastes — His  Letters  in  the  '  Gentleman's  Magazine  ' — Effect  of  Carter's 
Remonstrance — William  Atkinson — Cottingham's  Works — J.  C.  Buckler — His  Addi- 
tions to  Costcssy  Hall — His  Description  of  Magdalen  College        .  .     91-m 

CHAPTER   VII. 

Sir  Walter  Scott — The  Waverley  Novels — Their  Effect  on  the  Revival — Progress  of 
Mediaeval  Sentiment — Domestic  Architecture — The  Church  of  '  the  Period '—Dr. 
Milncr — The  '  Antiquities  of  Winchester ' — Milner's  Literary  Works — His  Attack  on 
Wyatt — Thomas  Rickman — St.  George's  Church,  Birmingham — Rickman's  Literary 
Works — John  Shaw — Christ's  Hospital — A.  Poynter — St.  Kathcrine's  Hospital — 
Salvin's  Works — Scotney  Castle — Dr.  Whcwell — Foreign  Gothic  .     11 2-1 31 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

The  Pointed  Arch  Question — Theories  as  to  the  Origin  of  Gothic — Modern  Gothic 
Sculpture — Classification  of  Styles — Ecclesiological  Studies — Proprieties  of  Design — 
Edward  Blore— His  Early  Life  and  Studies — His  '  Monumental  Remains' — His  Pro- 
fessional Works— James  Savage— St.  Luke's  Church,  Chelsea— Characteristics  of  the 
Building  ........      132-144 

CHAPTER    IX. 

A.  N.  Wei  by  Pugin— His  early  Life— His  Theatrical  Tastes— St.  Marie's  Grange— Scaris- 
brick  Hall— Pugin's  Literary  Works— His  Tour  in  Italy— Character  of  Pugin's  Designs 
—His  Facility  of  Invention— St.  Giles's  Church,  Cheadle— St.  George's  Cathedral, 

Westminster— St.  Chad's    Church,    Birmingham — Stained    Glass    in    St.    Chad's 

Character  of  Ancient  Glass— Church  of  St.  Wilfrid,  Manchester- -St.  Marie's  Church, 
Liverpool— Pugin's  House  at  Ramsgatc— St.  Augustine's  Church  .      145-165 


Contents.  xi 


CHAPTER   X. 

Sir  Charles  Barry — His  Early  Works — His  Views  on  Church  Architecture — The  Houses 
of  Parliament  Competition — Barry's  Design  selected — The  unsuccessful  Designs — 
St.  Stephen's  Chapel  — Westminster  Hall — Ingenuity  of  Barry's  Plan — Opposition  to 
Barry's  Scheme — Mr.  Hamilton's  Protest  and  Arguments — A nti- Mediaeval  Prejudices 
— Pseudo-moral  Objections — Colonel  Jackson's  Reply — Commencement  of  the  Work 
— Character  of  Barry's  Design — Its  Effects  on  the  Revival,  and  Influence  on  Art- 
Manufacture  .......  pages  166-186 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Revival  of  Ecclesiastical  Architecture — The  'Incorporated  Society  for  Promoting  the 
Building  of  Churches  ' — '  Commissioners'  Churches ' — Evangelical  Scruples — Utili- 
tarian Objections — Ecclesiastical  Economy — Secular  Apathy — Condition  of  Church 
Service — The  Cambridge  Camden  Society — Publication  of  the  '  Ecclesiologist ' — 
Neale's  '  Hints  to  Churchwardens ' — Opposition  to  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society — 
Its  Change  of  Name — Restoration  of  the  Temple  Church — Dr.  Chandler — The 
Oxford  Society — Their  Effect  on  the  Revival — Mr.  Beresford-Hope — Kilndown 
Church  ........      187-208 


CHAPTER   XII. 

a.d.  1 840-1 850 — Architects  of  the  Revival — Lincoln's  Inn  Hall — Character  of  the  Design 
— Mr.  Drake's  Lectures — Bartholomew's  Essay  on  the  Decline  of  Excellence  in  the 
Structure  of  English  Buildings — Exhibition  of  Mediaeval  Art — Wilton  Church  and 
Cheltenham  College — Publication  of  '  The  Builder ' — The  Works  of  Scott  and 
Ferrey — Church  of  St.  Giles's,  Camberwell — R.  C.  Carpenter — His  Churches  at 
Birmingham  and  elsewhere — Mr.  Butterfield — St.  Augustine's  College,  Canter- 
bury        ........  209—228 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

The  Rev.  J.  L.  Petit — Mr.  E.  A.  Freeman — Ecclesiological  Symbolism — Translation  of 
Durandus  published — Nomenclature  of  Styles — Mr.  E.  Sharpe — His  ' Architectural 
Parallels  ' — His  Professional  Works — Paley's  '  Gothic  Mouldings  ' — Bowman  and 
Crowther — Nash's  '  Mansions  of  England  ' — Mr.  R.  W.  Billings — His  *  Baronial 
Antiquities  of  Scotland  ' — Brandon's  'Analysis  of  Gothic  Architecture' — Messrs. 
Hadfield  andWeightman — Their  Works  at  Manchester,  Sheffield,  &c. — Mr.  J.J.Scoles 
— Church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  at  Liverpool — A  new  Reformation  .     229-245 


xii  Contents. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

New  Churches  in  London — St.  Andrew's,  Wells  Street — St.  Stephen's,  Westminster — St. 
Barnabas',  Pimlico— St.  Mary  Magdalene,  Munstcr  Square — Proposed  Erection  of  a 
Model  Church — All  Saints'  Church,  Margaret  Street — Its  Internal  Decoration — Criti- 
cism of  the  work — Ycalmpton  Church — Abbey  Mere,  Plymouth— St.  Alban's 
Church,  Holborn — Description  of  its  Details — Decorative  Sculpture  and  Painting — 
Chapel  of  Balliol  College,  Oxford— Keble  College— Characteristics  of  Mr.  Butter- 
field's  Work         .......      pages  246-263 

CHAPTER   XV. 

'Ruskinism' — Condition  of  Modern  Architecture — 'The  Seven  Lamps' — Claims  of 
Italian  Gothic — Mr.  Ruskin  as  an  Art  Reformer — Use  of  Iron  in  visible  Construction 
— Development  of  Window  Tracery — '  The  Lamp  of  Beauty  ' — Mr.  Ruskin's 
Critics — The  Morality  of  Art — Proposed  Limits  of  National  Style — Character  of  Mr. 
Ruskin's  Views — '  The  Stones  of  Venice' — Divisions  and  Subdivisions — Mr.  Ruskin  as 
a  Critic — Early  Converts  to  Ruskinism — Introduction  of  Venetian  Gothic     264-280 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

The  Great  Exhibition  of  1 85 1 — Its  Effect  on  the  Revival — Messrs.  Deane  and  Woodward 
— The  Oxford  Museum — Decorative  Treatment  of  the  Building — Christ  Church  and 
Merton  Colleges — Domestic  and  Ecclesiastical  Gothic — Church  Architects  a.d. 
1850-60 — St.  Peter's  Church,  Bournemouth — All  Saints'  Church,  Notting  Hill — 
Character  of  Mr.  White's  Designs — Lyndhurst  Church,  Hampshire — Exeter  College 
Chapel  and  Library — Progress  of  the  Revival — The  Battle  of  the  Styles  .      281-297 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

Deficiency  of  Public  Interest — The  Architectural  Exhibition — The  Architectural  Museum 
— Mr.  F.  Wyatt's  Works— Orchardleigh  Park  and  Capel  Manor— Mr.  J.  L.  Pearson's 
Works — Trcberfydd  House  and  Quar  Wood— Mr.  J.  Prichard — Eatington  Park — 
Adaptability  of  Italian  Gothic — New  Houses  at  Westminster — Mr.  Scott  on  the 
Revival — The  New  Foreign  Office  Competition — Lord  Palmcrston's  Dislike  to  Gothic 
— The  Manchester  Assize  Courts  Competition — Mr.  Waterhouse's  Design — The 
Building  as  executed — Ancient  Art  and  Modern  Requirements    .  .     298-315 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Influence  of  Individual  Taste — The  Study  of  French  Gothic — The  Lille  Cathedral  Com- 
petition— M.  Viollct-le-Duc — The  'Dictionnairede  l'Architecture  Francaise' — Sketches 
published  by  Shaw  and  Nesfield — Church  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  Notting  Hill — 
Church  of  St.  James  the  Less,  Westminster — Character  of  Mr.  Street's  designs — 


Contents.  xiii 


Church  of  SS.  Philip  and  James,  Oxford — St.  Peter's  Church,  Vauxhall— Internal 
Decoration  of  St.  Peter's — Mr.  H.  Woodyer — St.  Raphael's  College,  Bristol — Church 
of  the  Holy  Innocents  at  Highnam — St.  Paul's  Church,  Wokingham — Surrey  County 
Schools— Eastbourne  Convalescent  Hospital — The  House  of  Mercy  at  Bovey 
Tracey  .......         pages  316-332 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

A  Truce  to  the  Battle  of  the  Styles  —The  Medievalists  divided — The  Eclectic  and  the 
Parish  Schools — Mr.  T.  Hudson  Turner — Parker's  '  Domestic  Architecture  of  the 
Middle  Ages ' — Unpopularity  of  Early  Art — A  Reaction  in  favour  of  Late  Pointed 
Work — Mr.  R.  Norman  Shaw— Leyes  Wood  and  Glen  Andred — Mr.W.  E.  Nesfield 
— Cloverley  Hall — House  at  Farnham  Royal — The  Church  of  Rome  and  the 
Revival — Obstacles  to  Roman  Catholic  Encouragement  of  Gothic — Mr.  G.  Goldie — 
Abbey  of  St.  Scholastica,  Teignmouth — Roman  Catholic  Church  of  St.  Mary, 
Kensington  —  Mr.  Hadfield's  Works  —  The  Revival  independent  of  Religious 
Creed  ........     333-351 

CHAPTER    XX. 

a.d.  i  860-1 870 — The  Works  of  Mr.  W.  Burges — Cathedral  Church  of  St.  Finbar,  Cork 
— New  Tower  at  Cardiff  Castle — '  Knightshayes,'  Devon — The  Dangers  of  Liberty  in 
Design — Mr.  E.  W.  Godwin's  Works— Town  Halls  at  Northampton  and  Congleton 
— Three  Schools  of  Modern  Gothic — The  University  College  of  Wales — Balliol 
College,  Oxford — '  Humewood,'  Wicklow — Mr.  James  Brooks — St.  Chad's  Church, 
Haggerston — St.  Columba,  Kingsland  Road — Church  of  the  Annunciation,  Christ- 
church — French  and  English  types — St.  Stephen's  Church,  Hampstead — Mr.  G.  F. 
Bodley — Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  Liverpool — Its  Internal  Decoration — 
Future  Prospects  of  the  Revival — Conclusion    .  .  .  .      352-372 


Errata. 

Page  102,  line  22,  for  mezzo-relievo  read  mezzo-rilievo. 

,,  191,     „    26,  for  had  read  had  been. 

„  243,     „      4,  for  latter  read  former. 

,,  270,     „      7,  for  has  read  have. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  Annunciation  :   part  of  a  mural   painting  in  the  chancel  of  All  Saints' 
Church,  Notting  Hill ...... 

Church  of  St.  Andrew,  Plaistow,  Essex 

Old  House  on  Pride  Hill,  Shrewsbury 

The  Tom  Tower,  Christ  Church,  Oxford 

Eaton  Hall,  Cheshire.     The  seat  of  the  Marquis  of  Westminster 

Scotney  Castle,  Sussex.     The  residence  of  Edward  Hussey,  Esq. 

Church  of  St.  Augustine,  Ramsgate    . 

Church  of  S.  Mary,  Chetwynde,  Shropshire     . 

College  at  Lancing,  Sussex 

St.  John's  (R.  C.)  Cathedral,  Salford,  Manchester 

Church  of  S.  Stephen,  Westminster 

Belfry  of  S.  Alban's  Church,  London 

Balliol  College  Chapel,  Oxford 

The  University  Museum,  Oxford 

Lyndhurst  Parish  Church 

South  Porch  of  Exeter  College  Chapel,  Oxford 

Orchardleigh  Park,  Somersetshire.     The  seat  of  W.  Duckworth,  Esq. 

Quar  Wood,  Gloucestershire.     The  residence  of  the  Rev.  R.  W.  Hippisley 

Eatington  Park,  Warwickshire.     The  seat  of  E.  P.  Shirley,  Esq. 

Entrance  to  the  Assize  Courts,  Manchester      .... 

Entrance  to  the  Digby  Mortuary  Chapel,  Sherborne  . 

Baptistery  of  St.  Francis'  Church,  Notting  Hill 

Church  of  S.  Philip  and  S.  James,  Oxford 


PAGE 

frontispiece 
to  face  i 

5 
30 

11 
130 
163 
220 
224 
243 
247 

257 
261 
283 
292 
295 
301 
304 
307 
312 
319 
321 
323 


XVI 


Illustrations. 


Chancel  of  St.  John's  Church,  Torquay  .... 

Chancel  of  S.  Peter's  Church,  Vauxhall  .... 

All  Saints'  Hospital,  Eastbourne         ..... 
Cloverley  Hall,  Whitchurch,  Shropshire.    The  seat  of  J.  P.  Hey  wood,  Esq 
Leyes  Wood,  Sussex.     The  seat  of  James  W.  Temple,  Esq. . 
Abbey  of  St.  Scholastica,  Teignmouth  .... 

Western  Doorway  of  St.  Mary's  (R.  C.  pro-Cathedral)  Church 
Knightshayes,  near  Tiverton,  Devon.    The  seat  of  J.  H.  Amory,  Esq.,  M.P 
Part  of  New  Buildings  at  Balliol  College,  Oxford 

Hume  wood,  Wicklow.     The  seat  of  W.  W.  Fitzwilliam  Dick,  Esq.,  M.P. 
Church  of  St.  Chad,  Haggerston         ..... 
Church  of  St.  Columba,  Haggerston  ..... 
Church  of  St.  Stephen,  Hampstead     ..... 


PAGE 

to  face      325 

3*7 

331 

340 

343 
348 

350 

356 
360 

362 

364 
366 
368 


Portion  of  Nave  Arcade,  All  Saints'  Church 

Capital  of  Nave  Pier,  St.  Alban's  Church 

Ironwork  of  Chancel  Railing,  St.  Alban's  Church 

Spandrils  and  Arch-mouldings  of  Windows,  Oxford  Museum 

Ironwork  Capital,  Oxford  Museum  .... 

Carved  Capital,  Oxford  Museum  .... 

Decorative  Sculpture  of  Reredos,  St.  Peter's  Church,  Bournemouth 

Carved  Capitals,  Lyndhurst  Church         .... 

Corbel,  Exeter  College  Chapel,  Oxford    .... 

Dormer  Window,  Eatington  Park,  Warwickshire 

Chimneys,  Eatington  Park  ..... 

Fireplace  in  House  at  Farnham  Royal,  Windsor 


254 
258 
259 
284 
285 
286 
290 
294 
295 

3°5 
306 

342 


,rn>  rzi 


Church  of  St.  Andrezv,  P /a  is  tow,  Essex. 
James  Brooks,  Architect,  1867. 


H  ISTORY 


OF 


THE    GOTHIC    REVIVAL. 


a 


CHAPTER   I. 

HE  RENEWAL,  in  this  country,  of  a  taste  for  Mediaeval 
architecture,  and  the  reapplication  of  those  principles  which 
regulate  its  design,  represent  one  of  the  most  interesting  and 
remarkable  phases  in  the  history  of  art.  Unlike  the  Italian  Renaissance, 
which  was  intimately  associated  with,  and  in  a  great  measure  dependent 
on,  the  study  of  ancient  literature,  our  modern  English  Revival  fails  to 
exhibit,  even  in  its  earliest  development,  many  of  those  external  causes 
to  which  we  are  accustomed  to  attribute  a  revolution  in  public  taste. 

To  the  various  influences  which  raised  this  school  of  art  from  the 
crumbling  ruins  of  the  Roman  empire  to  its  glory  in  Western  Europe, 
and  then  permitted  it  to  lapse  into  degradation  in  the  sixteenth  century, 
history  points  with  an  unerring  hand.  But  for  the  stranger  influence 
which  slowly  though  surely  has  rescued  it  from  that  degradation,  which 
has  enlisted  such  universal  sympathy  in  its  behalf,  and  which  bids  fair, 
in  spite  of  ignorant  and  idle  prejudice,  to  adapt  it,  after  two  hundred 
years  of  neglect  and  contumely,  to  the  requirements  of  a  mercantile 
people  and  a  practical  age — for  this  influence,  indeed,  if  we  search  at 
all,  we  must  search  in  more  than  one  direction. 

B 


Ancient  and  Modern  Art. 


At  first  it  may  seem  strange  that  a  style  of  design  which  is  intimately 
associated  with  the  romance  of  the  world's  history  should  now-a-days 
find  favour  in  a  country  distinguished  above  all  others  for  the  plain 
business-like  tenour  of  its  daily  life.  But  this  presents  a  paradox  more 
obvious  in  a  moral  than  in  an  historical  sense. 

It  is  not  because  England  has  been  stigmatised  as  a  nation  of  shop- 
keepers that  she  is  necessarily  indifferent  to  the  progress  of  architecture. 
The  fairest  palaces  of  Venice  were  raised  at  a  time  when  her  commercial 
prosperity  stood  at  its  zenith,  but  her  art  and  her  commerce  had  grown 
up  together,  and  if  the  latter  was  genuine  and  healthy,  the  former  was 
unsophisticated  and   pure.     They   had  had   a  common   origin   in  the 
welfare  of  the  State.     With  the  decay  of  the  State  they  declined.     Art 
in  the  thirteenth   century  was  no  mere  hobby  of  the  educated,  nor  a 
taste  which   depended   on  antiquarian   research  for  its  perfection.     It 
belonged  to  the  habits,  to  the  necessities,  one  might  almost  say  to  the 
instincts,  of  civilised  life.      Men  did  not  then  theorise  on  the  fitness  of 
style,  or  the  propriety  of  this  or  that  mode  of  decoration.      There  was 
but  one  style  at  one  time — adopted,  no  doubt,  with  more  or  less  success, 
according  to  the  ability  of  the  designer,  but  adopted  with  perfect  con- 
fidence and  uniformity  of  purpose — untrammelled  by  the  consideration 
of  dates   or  mouldings,  or  any  of  the  fussiness   of  archaeology,  and 
maintaining  its  integrity,  not  by  the  authority  of  private  judgment,  but 
by  the  free  will  and  common  acceptation  of  a  people. 

The  difference  of  condition  between  ancient  and  modern  art  has  a 
direct  analogy  with  that  which  exists  between  ancient  and  modern  poetry, 
and  which  has  been  ably  illustrated  by  one  of  the  greatest  of  our  modern 
writers.  f  In  a  rude  state  of  society,'  says  Macaulay, '  men  are  children 
with  a  greater  variety  of  ideas.  It  is,  therefore,  in  such  a  state  of 
society  that  we  may  expect  to  find  the  poetical  temperament  in  its 
highest  perfection.  In  an  enlightened  age  there  will  be  much  intelligence, 
much  science,  much  philosophy,  abundance  of  just  classification  and 
subtle  analysis,  al  undance  of  wit  and  eloquence,  abundance   of  verses, 


Effect  of  Civilisation. 


and  even  of  good  ones;   but  little  poetry.      Men  will  judge  and  com- 
pare ;   but  they  will  not  create.' 

If  this  reasoning  be  just  in  regard  to  the  poetry  of  language,  it  is 
equally  so  with  respect  to  the  poetry  of  art.  As  a  nation,  we  have 
grown  too  sophisticated  to  enjoy  either  intuitively.  But  there  is 
another  kind  of  admiration  which  we,  in  common  with  all  modern 
Europe,  may  hope  to  feel  for  both,  and  which  is  derived  from  and 
dependent  on  the  cultivation  of  the  human  intellect.  The  graceful 
action  of  a  child  at  play  is  mainly  due  to  its  utter  artlessness.  It  may 
skip  and  jump  and  roll  upon  the  greensward  in  a  manner  which  defies 
our  artificial  sense  of  decorum.  Yet  every  movement  associated  with 
that  age  of  innocence  has  a  charm  for  us.  It  may  be  free  and  uncon- 
ventional, but  never  clumsy.  It  may  be  quaint  or  even  boisterous,  but 
never  vulgar.  Such  is  the  comeliness  of  nature,  which  by-and-by  is 
handed  over  to  the  mercies  of  the  dancing-master,  who,  with  fiddle  in 
hand  and  toes  turned  outwards,  proceeds  to  teach  our  little  ones  deport- 
ment. From  that  moment  ensues  a  dreary  interval  of  primness  and 
awkwardness.  Who  has  not  noticed  the  semi-prudish  gaucherie  of 
little  ladies  from  the  age  of  (say)  twelve  to  sixteen  ?  As  a  rule  they 
stand,  sit,  walk,  and  converse  with  a  painful  air  of  restraint,  in  which 
all  natural  grace  is  lost  in  an  overwhelming  sense  of  propriety,  nor 
is  it  until  they  ripen  into  womanhood  that  they  acquire  that  easy 
confidence  of  manner  which  is  at  once  characteristic  of  the  most  perfect 
breeding  and  the  purest  heart. 

It  is  precisely  such  an  interval  as  this — an  interval  between  youthful 
grace  and  mature  beauty — which  must  fall  to  the  fate  of  every  art 
during  the  progress  of  civilisation.  But,  instead  of  years,  we  need 
centuries  of  teaching  to  re-establish  principles  which  were  once  inde- 
pendent of  education,  but  which  have  lapsed  away  before  the  sophistry 
of  theoretic  science,  or  have  been  obliterated  by  the  influence  of  a  false 
economy.  It  has  now  come  to  be  an  universally  accepted  fact  that  the 
arts  of  design  attain  their  greatest  perfection  under  two  conditions.     We 


B   2 


Decline  of  Mcdiccval  Art. 


must  either  have  theories  of  the  most  refined  and  cultivated  order,  or 
we  must  have  no  theories  at  all.     In  the  present  age,  when  theory  is 
everything — when  volume  after  volume  issues  from  the  press  replete 
with  the  most  subtle  analysis  of  principles  which  are  to  guide  us  in  our 
estimate  of  the  beautiful,  it  is  hopeless  to  expect  that  men  will  work  by 
the  light  of  nature  alone,  and  forego  the  influence  of  precedent.      If  the 
1  Dark  A^es'  had  continued  dark  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  epithet, 
what  might  we  not  have  expected  from  the  beauties  of  the  Pointed  style  ? 
Even  if  literature  had  kept  pace  with  art,  they  might  have  gradually 
emerged    together   with  the  dawn   of   Western   civilisation.     But   the 
change,  though  gradual,  was  too  thorough  for  such  a  result,  and  when 
at   length   the  dazzling    light   of  the    Renaissance   burst  in  upon   our 
monasteries  and  cathedrals,  the  spirit  of  their  magnificence  faded  away 
before  the  unexpected  meteor.    The  tree  of  knowledge  had  been  tasted, 
and  it  was  vain  to  expect  sustenance  from  the  tree  of  life.     Thence- 
forth,  the   art   whose  seed  had   been  sown    in   the   earliest  period   of 
European  history — which  had  developed  with  the  prosperity  of  nations, 
and  borne  good  fruit  in  abundance  after  its  kind — was  doomed  to  wither 
away,  neglected,  into  a  sapless  trunk — to  be  hedged  round,  indeed,  by 
careful  antiquaries,  and  pointed  at  as  a  curiosity,  but  never,  as  it  once 
seemed,  likely  to  flourish  again  on  English  soil. 

And  here,  if  it  were  not  time  to  drop  the  metaphor,  one  might 
extend  its  significance  yet  further.  For  there  are  two  theories  respect- 
ing the  revival  of  Gothic  architecture  in  this  country.  One  is,  that  it 
appears  among  us  as  a  new  exotic  plant,  requiring  different  culture 
from  its  ancient  prototype,  which  is  supposed  to  have  become  utterly 
extinct.  But  there  are  those  who  love  to  think  that  the  old  parent 
stem  never  altogether  lost  its  vitality,  and  that  the  Mediaeval  tendencies 
which  crop  up  among  us  now  in  this  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century  may  be  compared  to  the  fresh  green  sprouts  which  owe 
their  existence  to  the  life  still  lingering  in  some  venerable  forest  oak. 
The  supporters  of  this  latter  theory  have  a  great  deal   to  urge   on 


H-*i- 


(  V<j  House  on  Pride  Hill,  Shrewsbury 
From  a  Sketch  by  ('.  /.  Eastlake. 


Elizabethan  A  re  hi 'tee fare. 


their  side  of  the  question.  In  the  first  place  the  Renaissance  school, 
from  which  we  are  accustomed  to  date  the  extinction  of  Gothic  art, 
although  it  appeared  in  Italy  with  Brunelleschi  at  its  head  during  the 
early  part  of  the  fifteenth  century,  was  scarcely  recognised  in  England 
until  a  hundred  years  later,  and  long  after  that  period,  even  when  the 
works  of  Lomazzo  and  Philibert  de  l'Orme  had  been  translated  into 
English,  and  John  Shute,  an  architect  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  time,  had 
returned  from  Italy  (whither  he  had  been  sent  by  his  patron  Dudley, 
Duke  of  Northumberland),  no  doubt  full  of  conceits  for,  and  admira- 
tion of,  the  new  style,  there  was  little  to  be  seen  of  that  style,  save  the 
incongruous  details  with  which  it  became  the  fashion  to  decorate  the 
palatial  houses  of  the  aristocracy.  But  though  Italian  stringcourses  and 
kevstones,  quoins,  and  cornices,  were  introduced  abundantly  in  the  bay- 
windows  and  porticoes  of  the  day,  the  main  outline  of  the  buildings  to 
which  those  features  belonged  remained  in  accordance  with  the  ancient 
type.  This  was  especially  the  case  in  rural  districts.  The  counties 
of  Shropshire,  Chester,  and  Stafford,  bear  evidence  to  this  day,  in 
many  an  old  timber  house  which  dates  from  the  Elizabethan  period, 
of  the  tenacity  with  which  the  old  style  held  its  own  in  regard  to 
general  arrangement,  long  after  it  had  been  grafted  with  the  details  of 
a  foreign  school.  Even  down  to  the  reign  of  James  I.,  the  domestic 
architecture  of  England,  as  exemplified  in  the  country  houses  of  the 
nobility,  was  Gothic  in  spirit,  and  frequently  contained  more  real 
elements  of  a  Mediaeval  character  than  many  which  have  been  built  in 
modern  times  by  the  light  of  archaeological  orthodoxy.  Inigo  Jones 
himself  required  a  second  visit  to  Italy  before  he  could  thoroughly 
abandon  the  use  of  the  Pointed  arch.  But  its  days  were  now  numbered, 
and  when  in  1633  the  first  stone  w:as  laid  for  a  Roman  portico  to  one 
of  the  finest  cathedrals  of  the  Middle  Ages,  the  tide  of  national  taste 
may  be  said  to  have  completely  turned,  and  Gothic  architecture,  as  a 
practicable  art,  received  what  was  then  no  doubt  supposed  to  be  its 
death-blow. 


Dodsworth  and  Dugdalc. 


By  a  strange  and  fortunate  coincidence  of  events,  however,  it 
happened  that  at  this  very  time,  when  architects  of  the  period  had 
learned  to  despise  the  buildings  of  their  ancestors,  a  spirit  of  veneration 
for  the  past  was  springing  up  among  a  class  of  men  who  may  be  said 
to  have  founded  our  modern  school  of  antiquaries.  Sometimes,  indeed, 
their  researches  were  not  those  of  a  character  from  which  much 
advantage  was  to  be  expected.  James  I.  spent  a  great  deal  of  his  own 
and  his  architect's  time  in  speculating  on  the  origin  of  Stonehenge,  and 
no  doubt  many  ingenious  theorists  were  content  to  follow  the  royal 
example.  But  luckily  for  posterity,  the  attention  of  others  was  drawn 
in  a  more  serviceable  direction.  Up  to  this  time  no  work  of  any  import- 
ance had  been  published  on  the  Architectural  Antiquities  of  England. 
A  period  had  arrived  when  it  was  thought  necessary,  if  only  on  historical 
grounds,  that  some  record  of  ecclesiastical  establishments  should  be 
compiled.  The  promoters  of  the  scheme  were  probably  little  influenced 
by  the  love  of  Gothic  as  a  style.  But  an  old  building  was  necessarily 
a  Gothic  building,  and  thus  it  happened  that,  in  spite  of  the  prejudices 
of  the  age,  and  probably  their  own  aesthetic  predilections,  the  anti- 
quarians of  the  day  became  the  means  of  keeping  alive  some  interest  in 
a  school  of  architecture  which  had  ceased  to  be  practically  employed. 

Early  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I.,  Mr.  Roger  Dodsworth,  who  appears 
to  have  belonged  to  a  good  family  in  Yorkshire,  inspired  by  that  love 
of  archaeology  which  distinguished  many  gentlemen  of  the  time,  began 
to  collect  materials  for  a  history  of  his  native  county.  In  the  course 
of  his  research,  he  necessarily  acquired  much  interesting  information 
concerning  the  origin  and  endowments  of  those  religious  houses  of  the 
North  which  had  been  established  previous  to  the  Reformation.  While 
Dodsworth — a  man  somewhat  advanced  in  years — was  engaged  in  this 
pursuit,  a  younger  antiquarian  than  himself,  Mr.  William  Dugdale,  of 
Blythe,  was  similarly  occupied  in  compiling  a  history  of  Warwickshire. 
Sir  Henry  Spelman,  who  knew  both,  and  appreciated  the  value  of  their 
labours,  perceived  that,  by  uniting  the  labours  of  these  gentlemen,  a 


The  ' Monasticon  Anglicanum' 


valuable  result  might  be  obtained.  He  therefore  did  his  best  to  bring 
them  together,  and  we  have  reason  to  be  thankful  that  he  succeeded  in 
doing  so,  for  a  literary  partnership  ensued,  and  the  produce  of  their 
joint  authorship  was  the  c  Monasticon  Anglicanum.' 

Opinions  are  much  divided  concerning  Dugdale's  share  in  the  earlier 
portions  of  this  work.  Mr.  Gough,  in  his  '  British  Topography, 
contends  that  the  two  first  volumes  were  compiled  entirely  by  Dods- 
worth.  This  opinion  has  since  been  refuted,  with  what  success  need 
not  here  be  discussed.  It  suffices  to  state  that  Dodsworth,  who  was 
indubitably  the  original  projector  of  the  undertaking,  died  a  year  before 
the  publication  of  the  first  volume,  which  occurred  in  1655.  This 
volume  appeared  without  dedication,  and,  indeed,  it  would  have  been 
difficult  to  find,  in  those  stormy  times,  and  among  the  Puritan  leaders 
of  the  Commonwealth,  a  patron  who  was  sufficiently  interested  in  the 
object  of  the  work  to  lend  his  name  to  the  title-page.  Nor  were  the 
interests  of  literature  likely  to  be  better  supported  by  the  Royalists 
themselves,  who  had  just  been  iniquitously  deprived  of  one-tenth  of 
their  estates  under  the  military  despotism  which  then  obtained  in 
England.  The  book,  in  short,  met  with  a  miserable  sale,  so  much  so 
that  it  was  not  until  seven  years  later,  after  the  Restoration,  that  the 
second  volume  appeared — this  time  accompanied  by  a  dedication  to  his 
gracious  Majesty  King  Charles  II.,  who  no  doubt  was  much  edified  by 
its  perusal.  The  third  volume  came  out  in  1673 — the  memorable 
year  of  the  Test  Act — and,  by  an  entry  in  Dugdale's  diary,  it  seems 
that  he  received  fifty  pounds  for  it.  In  this  concluding  portion  of  his 
labour  he  had  been  assisted  by  Sir  Thomas  Herbert  and  Mr.  Anthony 
a  Wood. 

In  1682  a  new  and  improved  edition  of  the  first  volume  was  published 
(Editio  secunda  auctior  et  emendatior ;  cum  altera  ac  elucidiori  indice), 
and  of  this  edition  many  copies  exist.  It  has  a  double  title  page,  the 
first  containing  a  sort  of  genealogical  tree,  on  the  branches  of  which  are 
represented,  in  a  kneeling  attitude,  little  groups  of  figures  emblematical 


8  Hollar  and  King. 


of  various  religious  and  monastic  orders.  At  the  foot  of  the  tree  stand 
St.  Benedict,  St.  Dunstan,  St.  Gregory,  St.  Augustine,  and  St.  Cuth- 
bert.  The  engraving  opposite  this  is  remarkable  for  two  facts  connected 
with  it.  Although  the  work  to  which  it  introduces  the  reader  treats  of 
none  but  Mediaeval  buildings,  the  design  of  this  page  is  essentially  Italian 
in  character,  and  in  fact  represents  a  kind  of  Roman  triumphal  arch,  so 
indifferent  were  its  authors  to  the  interests  of  Gothic  art.  But  their 
sympathy  with  the  fate  of  many  an  ecclesiastical  institution  which  had 
perished  under  the  rule  of  Henry  VIII.  is  indicated  by  two  vignettes 
which  appear  at  the  bottom  of  the  plate.  In  one  of  these  a  king  is  seen 
kneeling  before  an  altar  and  dedicating  some  grant  c  Deo  et  ecclesitf'  in 
behalf  of  an  abbey  which  appears  delineated  in  the  distance.  In  the 
second  compartment  the  abbey  is  in  ruins,  and  c  blufF  King  Hal,' 
straddling  in  the  foreground,  and  apart  from  his  Royal  -predecessors, 
points  with  his  stick  to  the  dismantled  walls,  exclaiming  c  Sic  volo.' 

It  is  impossible  to  mistake  the  spirit  which  found  vent  in  these 
symbols.  The  engravings  which  were  published  with  the  original 
editions  of  the  f  Monasticon '  were  executed  by  Hollar  and  King,  two 
artists,  of  whose  names  one  would  certainly  not  otherwise  have  reached 
posterity.  Those  by  Hollar  are  the  best,  and  are  chiefly  illustrative 
of  the  various  costumes  worn  by  ancient  religious  orders  in  England. 
King  undertook  the  architectural  views,  which  are  for  the  most  part 
of  a  rude  and  unsatisfactory  description.  They  are  frequently  out  of 
perspective,  and  are  neither  faithful  in  matters  of  detail  nor  drawn 
with  any  artistic  spirit.  They  are,  however,  not  uninteresting  to  the 
modern  student,  as  they  include  many  records  of  buildings,  or  portions 
of  buildings,  which  have  long  since  perished  under  the  hand  of  time. 
Among  Hollar's  may  be  mentioned  a  view  of  Lincoln  Cathedral,  show- 
ing the  spire  previous  to  its  destruction  in  1547,  and  the  views  of 
Salisbury  with  its  detached  belfry  (on  the  north  side),  since  removed. 

The  descriptive  text  is  written  in  Latin,  after  a  fashion  common  with 
such   works  of  that   date.     From   an   allusion  in  his  diary   in   1658, 


Illustrations  of  the  ' Monasticon! 


Dugdale  seems  to  have  feared  that  c  Mr.  King'  (probably  a  clerk  in 
his  employ)  was  about  to  publish  a  translation  of  the  f  Monasticon.' 
That  such  a  work  was  prepared  to  the  extent  of  the  first  volume  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  Dugdale  himself  alludes  to  its  being 
'erroneously  Englished'  in  many  places.  The  abridged  translation, 
however,  which  was  subsequently  published,  did  not  appear  until  1692, 
six  years  after  Sir  William  Dugdale's  death,  and  being  signed  '  J.  W.' 
was  ascribed  to  Mr.  James  Wright,  a  barrister  of  the  Middle  Temple, 
who,  in  1684,  published  the  'History  and  Antiquities  of  the  County  of 
Rutland.'  Other  abridgments  and  extracts  from  the  original  work  fol- 
lowed, many  of  which  were  inaccurate. 

The  modern  edition  is  well  known.  It  was  the  result  of  the  joint 
labours  of  three  gentlemen  eminently  qualified  for  the  task  which  they 
undertook  : — The  Rev.  Bulkeley  Bandinell,  D.D.,  keeper  of  the 
Bodleian  Library  ;  Mr.  John  Caley,  keeper  of  the  Records  of  the 
Augmentation  Office  (who,  at  a  later  period,  held  a  similar  post  at 
Westminster)  ;  and  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir  Henry)  Ellis,  keeper  of  the 
MSS.  in  the  British  Museum.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  amount 
of  erudition  thus  brought  to  bear  upon  the  subject  materially  increased 
the  historical  value  of  the  work.  Hundreds  of  Religious  Houses  of 
which  Dugdale  knew  little  or  nothing  were  added  to  the  list.  Most  of 
Hollar's  prints  were  re-engraved.  Those  by  King  were  rejected  as 
worthless.  But,  in  order  to  supply  their  place,  the  authors  availed 
themselves  of  an  artist's  assistance,  whose  work,  though  it  may  appear 
indifferent  when  judged  by  a  more  recent  standard  of  merit,  is  by  no 
means  deficient  in  artistic  quality,  and  was  no  doubt  among  the  best  of 
his  time.  The  engravings  from  Mr.  John  Coney's  drawings  will 
scarcely  satisfy  those  who  look  for  minute  attention  to  the  detail  of 
Gothic  ornament.  But  in  breadth  of  effect,  and  in  treatment  of 
chiaroscuro,  they  will  bear  comparison  with  Piranesi.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  the  initial  letters  and  a  few  other  characteristics  of  the 
early  text  were  not  reproduced.    But  taken  as  a  whole,  and  considering 


io  Inigo  yones. 


the  period  at  which  it  was  brought  out,  the  modern  edition  of  the 
f  Monasticon '  is  a  work  which  does  credit  to  its  authors  and  the  spirit 
which  induced  its  publication. 

In  examining  the  condition  of  what  is  commonly  known  as  Pointed 
architecture  during  the  seventeenth  century,  the  student  will  be  not  a 
little  puzzled  who  attempts  to  ascribe,  with  anything  like  chronological 
accuracy,  its  various  characteristics  to  such  a  sequence  of  events  as 
influenced  it  before,  or  have  prevailed  upon  it  since,  that  period.  In 
the  present  day,  when  a  few  hours'  journey  enables  us  to  pass  from  one 
end  of  England  to  another,  and  even  into  the  heart  of  the  Continent — 
when  the  increased  facilities  and  cheapness  of  publication  have  rendered 
the  public  familiar  with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  ancient  and  modern 
art,  it  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  importance  which  once  attached  to  the 
merit  and  capabilities  of  individual  example.  Every  builder's  clerk 
who  can  now  get  away  for  a  month's  holiday  may  spend  his  time 
profitably  among  the  churches  of  Normandy,  or  fill  his  portfolio  with 
sketches  in  Rhineland.  But,  two  hundred  years  ago  a  travelled  archi- 
tect  was  a  great  man,  entitled  to  an  amount  of  respect  which  quickly 
secured  for  him  the  highest  patronage,  and  enabled  him  to  form  a 
school  of  which  he  became  the  acknowledged  leader.  The  development 
of  such  a  school,  however,  was  often  necessarily  limited  to  that  portion 
of  the  country  where  he  found  a  field  for  the  display  of  his  talents. 
Meantime,  many  a  rural  practitioner  was  content  to  imitate  the  work  of 
his  forefathers ;  and  thus,  while  the  influence  of  the  new  Italian  school 
was  brought  to  bear  upon  public  and  important  works,  a  large  propor- 
tion of  minor  and  domestic  buildings  still  continued  to  be  designed  in 
that  style  which,  though  debased  in  character,  may  be  fairly  described 
as  Mediaeval. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  earliest  works  of  Inigo  Jones  himself  were 
Gothic  ;  and  even  after  his  return  from  Italy,  where  he  had  studied  the 
works  of  Palladio,  he  could  not  entirely  forsake  the  groove  in  which 
his  youthful  efforts  had  been  exercised.     The  north  and  south  sides  of 


ArchbisJiop  Laud.  1 1 


the  quadrangle  at  St.  John's  College,  Oxford,  still  bear  witness  of  his 
genius  in  a  design  which,  though  it  has  with  justice  been  described 
as  bastard  in  its  details,  is  nevertheless  an  eminently  picturesque  com- 
position, and  shows,  moreover,  how  fondly  the  elder  university  still 
adhered  to  those  ancient  traditions  of  art  which  had  shed  a  glory  on  her 
most  venerable  foundations.  That  work  was  undertaken  at  the  cost  of 
Archbishop  Laud,  whose  tastes,  so  far  as  we  can  now  infer,  had  but 
little  in  common  with  the  then  rising  school  of  architecture.  Indeed, 
it  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  that  a  prelate  so  zealous  for  the  constitution 
and  privileges  of  his  order,  so  conservative  in  his  notions  of  matters 
ecclesiastic,  so  attached  to  ceremonial  and  that  form  of  worship  which 
had  most  sympathy  with  Rome  and  least  with  Geneva,  must  have  looked 
with  some  jealousy  on  a  style  of  art  which  England  owed  to  the  Revival 
of  Literature  and  to  the  Reformation. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  during  Laud's  episcopate,  and  some 
years  after  the  new  art-doctrines  had  been  promulgated,  more  than  one 
Gothic  church  was  consecrated  by  him  and  probably  reared  at  his  expense. 
Among  these  may  be  mentioned  St.  Catharine  Cree,  in  Leadenhall 
Street,  and  the  parish  church  at  Hammersmith,  of  which  the  first  stone 
was  laid  in  1629.  Bishop  Cosin,  another  patron  and  connoisseur  of 
architecture,  who  was  raised  to  the  See  of  Durham  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  I.,  unbeneficed  during  the  Commonwealth,  and  who  returned  to 
his  diocese  after  the  Restoration,  also  sustained  by  his  aid  the  now 
waning  influence  of  Mediaeval  design.  He  partly  rebuilt  the  palace 
and  chapel  of  Bishop's  Auckland,  with  far  more  reverence  for  ancient 
precedent  than  could  be  found  in  many  a  work  of  his  contemporaries. 
The  windows  of  the  chapel  are  (at  least  in  general  conception)  by 
no  means  bad  imitations  of  geometrical  tracery.  The  stalls,  the  pulpit 
and  reading-desk,  the  reredos  and  roofs,  though  belonging  to  a  class  of 
art  which  we  should  not  like  to  see  reproduced  in  our  own  day,  have 
nevertheless  a  certain  dignity  about  their  form  which  is  worthy  of  a 
better  age. 


12  TJie  Durham  Churches. 

The  design  of  the  stalls  and  font-cover  of  Durham  Cathedral  may 
be  referred  to  the  same  date,  and  probably  to  the  same  influence.  The 
chancel  of  Brancepeth  Church,  near  Durham,  is  supposed  to  have  been 
fitted  up  after  the  Reformation,  and  is  on  that  account  remarkable  for 
its  chancel-screen.  There  is  another  of  similar  design  at  Ledgefield, 
and  indeed  the  retention  of  this  feature,  until  a  late  period,  in  the  parish 
churches  of  Durham  is  a  peculiar  characteristic  of  that  county.  The 
general  proportions  of  the  Brancepeth  screen  are  excellent :  the  stalls  are 
evidently  copied  from  earlier  work,  and  the  whole  of  the  woodwork, 
though  naturally  deficient  in  purity  of  detail,  is  thoroughly  Gothic  in 
motive. 

Such  examples  become  the  more  interesting  when  we  remember  that 
they  were  probably  executed  long  after  the  dilettanti  of  the  day  had 
been  imbued  with  a  taste  for  Italian  art.  So  early  as  1624,  Sir  Henry 
Wotton,  one  of  the  most  accomplished  authorities  of  the  day,  had 
published  his  c  Elements  of  Architecture  '  a  lengthy  essay,  which  if  we 
except  the  work  of  John  Shute,*  is  perhaps  the  most  important  that 
had  then  appeared  on  the  subject.  In  the  introduction  he  says,  c  I  shall 
not  neede  (like  the  most  part  of  Writers)  to  celebrate  the  subject  which 
I  deliver.  In  that  point  I  am  at  ease.  For  Architecture  can  want  no 
commendation  where  there  are  Noble  Men  or  Noble  Mindes ;  I  will 
therefore  spend  this  Preface  rather  about  those  from  whom  I  have 
gathered  my  knowledge  ;  For  I  am  but  a  gatherer  and  disposer  of  other 
men's  Stuffe  at  my  best  value.'  He  then  goes  on  to  describe  Vitruvius 
as  c  our  principall  Master,'  and  alludes  to  the  works  of  Leon-Battista 
Alberti,  whom  he  reputes  '  the  first  learned  architect  beyond  the  Alpes.' 
The  metaphysical  character  of  his  theories,  as  well  as   the   analogies 

*  The  title  of  Shute's  book  (probably  the  earliest  work  of  the  kind  published  in 
England)  was,  «  The  first  and  chiefe  Grounds  of  Architecture  used  in  all  the  ancient  and 
famous  Monymcnts,  with  a  farther  and  more  ample  Discourse  uppon  the  same  than  has 
hitherto  been  set  forthe  by  any  other.'  By  John  Shute,  payntcr  and  architecte.  Printed 
by  John  Marshe,  fol.,  1563.  There  is  no  copy  of  it  cither  in  the  British  Museum  or  in 
Sir  John  Soanc's  Library. 


Sir  Hairy  IVotton.  13 


which  he  draws  between  Nature  and  Art,  remind  us  of  modern  writers, 

and  especially  of  one  who  has  so  ably  espoused  a  very  different  cause 

Mr.  Ruskin. 

Wotton  begins  his  dissertation  by  stating  that  (  building  hath  three 
conditions ;  Commoditie,  Firmenes,  and  Delight.'  It  is  curious  to 
compare  this  division  of  qualities  with  the  c  Seven  Lamps  of  Architec- 
ture/ by  which  the  present  generation  has  been  illumined,  and  to  note 
how  the  old  author  puts  in  a  plea  for  circular  plans  on  the  ground  that 
1  birds  doe  build  their  nests  spherically.'  This  is  precisely  the  sort  of 
argument  which  Mr.  Ruskin  uses  when  he  recommends  the  pointed 
arch  because  it  is  the  shape  of  leaves  which  are  shaken  in  the  summer 
breeze.  The  admirer  of  Mediaeval  art  will  probably  consider  that 
in  the  main  object  of  their  teaching,  Mr.  Ruskin  is  perfectly  right, 
and  Sir  Henry  Wotton  was  perfectly  wrong,  but  when  they  base  their 
opinions  on  such  facts  as  these,  they  might  change  places  without  much 
damage  to  either  cause. 

Sir  Henry  quotes  largely  from  Vitruvius,  and  enters  upon  those 
wonderful  comparisons  between  the  Orders  and  the  human  race  which 
have  been  so  often  reproduced  in  Handbooks  of  Architecture,  and  have 
been  the  delight  of  Pecksniffs  from  time  immemorial. 

But  what  after  all  is  the  real  value  of  such  fanciful  derivations  of 
style  ?  What  artistic  principle  do  they  illustrate  ?  What  information 
do  they  convey  ?  Is  there  any  rational  critic  who  actually  believes 
that  he  can  detect  the  slightest  resemblance  between  the  Tuscan  pillar 
and  a  c  sturdy  well-limbed  labourer,'  between  the  fluting  of  an  Ionic 
column  and  the  folds  of  a  woman's  dress,  or  discover  in  a  capital  of 
acanthus  leaves  any  of  that  meretricious  abandon  which  is  supposed  to 
have  characterised  the  ladies  of  Corinth  ?  These  are  fables  which  may 
have  pleased  the  pedants  of  King  James's  day,  but  it  is  time  to  forget 
them  now. 

The  subject  of  Gothic  architecture  Wotton  passes  over  in  this  essay 
with   silence,   and   it   is   only  in  discussing  the   shape   of  arches   that 


14  Antiquaries  of  the  Seventeenth  Century. 


he  is  betrayed  into  expressing  his  contempt  for  what  we  now  call  the 

c  Tudor  style.' 

As  semicircular  arches  (says  he)  or  Hemisphericall  vaults  being  raised  upon  the 
totall  diameter,  bee  of  all  other  the  roundest  and  consequently  the  securest 
.  .  .  .  so  those  are  the  gracefullest  which,  keeping  precisely  the  same 
height,  shall  yet  bee  distended  one  fourteenth  part  longer  than  the  sayd  entire 
diameter,  which  addition  of  distent  will  conferre  much  to  their  Beauty,  and 
detract  but  little  from  their  Strength  ....  As  for  those  arches  which 
our  artizans  call  of  the  third  and  fourth  point  ;  and  the  Tuscan  writers  di  terzo 
and  di  quarto  acuto^  because  they  alwayes  concurre  in  an  acute  Angle  and  doe 
springe  from  division  of  the  Diameter  into  three,  foure,  or  more  parts  at  pleasure  ; 
I  say  such  as  these,  both  for  the  natural  imbecility  of  the  sharpe  angle  it  selfe, 
and  likewise  for  their  very  Vncomelinesse,  ought  to  bee  exiled  from  judicious 
eyes,  and  left  to  their  first  inventors,  the  Gothes  or  Lumbards,  amongst  other 
Reliques  of  that  barbarous  Age. 

In  spite  of  the  contumely  thus  heaped  upon  Gothic,  and  the  neglect 
with  which  it  was  treated  by  the  followers  of  Palladio,  it  met  with 
respect  in  some  quarters  and  especially  among  the  antiquaries.  We 
have  already  seen  that  an  interval  of  seven  years  elapsed  between  the 
publication  of  the  first  and  second  volumes  of  the  '  Monasticon.'  But 
in  that  interval  a  work  was  produced  by  the  same  author  which  could 
not  fail  to  draw  attention  to  the  beauties  of  what  was  once  one  of  the 
finest  cathedrals  in  the  world,  and  the  memory  of  which  has  been  thus 
happily  transmitted  to  our  own  time  in  the  form  of  a  well  written  and 
well  illustrated  record.  Dugdale's  *  History  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  ' 
has  passed  through  several  editions.  It  has  been  enlarged  by  Maynard, 
continued  and  further  amplified  by  Sir  Henry  Ellis,  and  decorated  with 
new  engravings  by  Finden  and  Heath.  But  to  the  antiquary  no  copy 
of  it  possesses  half  the  interest  of  that  dear  old  time-stained  volume, 
'  printed,'  as  the  title-page  sets  forth  in  red  and  black  type,  in  London 
1  by  Tho.  Warren  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  God  MDCLVIII.' 

It  was  a  memorable  epoch  in  the  annals  of  English  history.  The 
man  who  had  sacrificed  his  king  to  the  interests  of  his  country,  who 


Dugdale  s  'History  of  St.  Paul's.'  15 


had  redeemed  the  honour  of  the  British  flag  where  it  had  Jong  been 
insulted,  who  had  begun  life  as  an  earnest  enthusiast  for  civil  and 
religious  liberty,  and  ended  it  as  a  tyrant — Cromwell,  the  greatest 
prince  of  his  age  and  the  most  miserable  regicide,  covered  with  military 
glory  only  to  be  filled  by-and-by  with  abject  remorse,  the  hero  of 
Marston  Moor  and  Naseby,  who  could  not  sleep  for  fear  of  assassination, 
died  of  fever  on  September  3,  in  the  same  year  which  saw  the  publica- 
tion of  Dugdale's  book.  Discontent  had  long  been  gathering  in  the 
country,  and  a  time  had  now  arrived  when  the  rising  influence  of  the 
Royalist  party  no  doubt  encouraged  the  efforts  of  many  a  man  who, 
like  Dugdale,  was  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Church.  It  may  be 
doubted  whether  the  volume  appeared  before  or  after  Cromwell's  death, 
but  it  is  certain  that  it  must  have  been  published  within  a  few  months 
of  that  event,  and  therefore  to  this  original  edition,  printed  as  it  was 
before  the  plague  and  fire  of  London,  and  perhaps  conned  over  in  turn 
by  Roundhead  and  Cavalier,  something  more  than  ordinary  interest  is 
attached. 

The  etchings  which  accompany  this  valuable  work  are  by  Hollar,  and 
in  many  respects  superior  to  those  which  appear  with  the  c  Monasticon.' 
Facing  the  title-page  there  is  a  portrait  of  Dugdale  himself  at  the  age 
of  fifty,  wearing  the  broad-brimmed  hat,  buttoned  coat,  and  Geneva 
bands  with  which  we  are  accustomed  to  associate  Master  Izaak  Walton 
and  many  other  worthies  of  his  time.  The  dedicatory  epistle  is  to  the 
Right  Honourable  Christopher  Lord  Hatton,  Comptroller  of  the 
Household  to  the  late  King  Charles,  and  one  of  his  Majesty's  most 
Honourable  Privy  Council.  In  it  the  writer  cautiously  but  plainly 
deplores  the  late  aspect  of  affairs,  and  quotes  the  almost  prophetic 
words  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  who  forty  years  before,  '  discerning  even 
then  the  increase  and  growth  of  sectaries  in  the  realm,'  observed, 
'  that  all  cost  and  care  bestowed  and  had  of  the  Church  wherein  God  is 
to  be  served  and  worshipped  was  accounted  by  those  people  a  kinde  of 
Popery  ;    so    that   time  would  soon   bring  it   to  passe,  if  it  were  not 


1 6  Dugdates  'History  of  St.  Paul's.' 


resisted,  that  God  would  be  turned  out  of  Churches  into  Barnes,  and  from 
thence  again  into  the  Feilds  and  Mountains  and  under  Hedges ;  and  the 
office  of  the  Ministry  (robbed  of  all  dignity  and  respect)  be  as  con- 
temptible as  those  places  ;  all  order,  discipline,  and  Church-government 
left  to  newness  of  opinion  and  men's  fancies  ;  yea,  and  soone  after, 
as  many  kindes  of  religion  spring  up  as  there  are  parish  churches 
within  England  ;  every  contentious  and  ignorant  person  cloathing  his 
fancie    with    the  Spirit    of   God  and    his  imagination  with  the  gift  of 

Revelation,'  &c. 

This  letter  is  dated  from  the  author's  residence  in  Blythe  Hall, 
Warwickshire,  July  7,  1657,  from  which  we  may,  perhaps,  infer  that 
the  volume  issued  from  the  press  early  in  the  following  year,  and 
before  that  event  occurred  which   brought  about   a  very  different  state 

of  things. 

An  interesting  account  of  the  foundation  and  various  endowments 
of  the  old  cathedral  then  follows,  assigning  dates  to  the  completion  of 
different  portions  of  the  structure.  After  this  is  a  description  of  the 
monumental  epitaphs  accompanied  by  illustrations  (many  of  which  are 
executed  with  great  care)  of  the  tombs  and  brasses,  &c.  Most  of 
them  are  Italian,  and  though  of  a  most  objectionable  design,  are  inte- 
resting in  the  evidence  which  they  afford  of  early  Renaissance  conceits. 

A  series  of  general  views  is  then  added.  A  perspective  of  the 
cloisters  from  the  south  shows  the  chapter-house  then  standing  in  the 
quadrangle  which  they  enclosed.  Another  perspective  of  the  south 
front  of  the  cathedral  includes  a  view  of  the  spire  after  its  f  restoration  ' 
in  1553,  and  previous  to  its  final  destruction  by  lightning  in  1561. 
On  this  last  occasion  the  fire  spread  over  the  roof  of  the  nave  and  aisles, 
burning  the  rafters  and  all  that  was  combustible  within  the  space  of 
four  hours  ;  f  Whereupon  the  Queen  (Elizabeth)  out  of  a  deep  appre- 
hension of  this  lamentable  accident,  forthwith  directed  her  Letters  to  the 
Lord  Mayor  of  London,  requiring  him  to  take  seme  speedy  order 
for  its  repair ;   and,  to  further  the  work,  gave  out  of  her  own  purse  a 


Old  St.  Paul's  Italianised.  17 

thousand  marks  in  gold,  as  also  warrant  for  a  thousand  loads  of  timber, 
to  be  taken  in  her  woods  or  elsewhere.' 

The  work  of  repair  was  prosecuted  c  with  such  dilligence '  (!)  that 
before  April,  1566,  all  the  roofs  were  finished  and  covered  with  lead. 
The  larger  trusses  had  been  framed  in  Yorkshire,  and  brought  to  town 
by  sea.  Various  models  were  made  for  restoring  the  steeple,  but 
neither  in  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign,  nor  subsequently,  were  any  of  these 
plans  carried  out. 

In  the  eighteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  King  James  I.,  that  monarch 
having  been  repeatedly  solicited  by  one  Master  Henry  Farley,  a  gentle- 
man who  appears  to  have  taken  great  interest  in  the  cathedral,  at 
length  turned  his  attention  to  its  dilapidated  condition,  and  Dugdale 
records  that  (  his  princely  heart  was  moved  with  Such  Compassion  to 
this  decayed  fabrick  that,  for  prevention  of  its  neer  approaching  ruine 
(by  the  corroding  quality  of  the  coale  smoake,  especially  in  moist 
weather,  whereunto  it  had  long  been  subject),  considering  with  himself 
how  vast  the  charge  would  be ;  as,  also,  that  without  very  great  and 
publick  helps  it  could  not  be  born  ;  to  beget  the  more  venerable  regard 
towards  so  worthy  an  enterprize,  and  more  effectually  to  put  it  forwards, 
he  came  in  great  state  thither  on  Horseback  upon  Sunday,  26th  of 
March  1620/ 

An  appropriate  sermon  was  preached  on  this  occasion  by  the  Bishop 
of  London  (Dr.  King),  to  whom  his  Majesty  had  himself  supplied 
the  text  (Psalm  102,  v.  13  and  14).  After  which  the  royal  party 
adjourned  to  the  bishop's  palace,  where,  it  appears,  the  hospitable 
prelate  entertained  them  with  f  severall  set  Banquets.' 

The  result  of  this  visit  became  manifest  in  a  Royal  Commission,  which 
was  appointed  in  November  of  the  same  year.  It  included  many 
eminent  noblemen  and  ecclesiastics,  but  of  all  the  names  on  the  list  the 
one  which  bears  most  on  our  present  subject  is  that  of  Inigo  Jones, 
1  Esquire,'  then  surveyor  to   his   Majesty's  works.     The  Commission 

c 


1 3  Royal  Commissions  on  St.  Pauls. 


bore,  in  some  respects,  a  resemblance  to  many  such  Commissions  of  our 
own  day.  It  wasted  a  great  deal  of  time  in  talking.  Months  and 
years  slipped  away.  The  Bishop  of  London,  who  had  subscribed 
liberally  to  the  undertaking,  died.  His  royal  master  did  not  long 
survive  him.  Still  nothing  important  in  the  way  of  restoration  had 
been  begun.  Meantime  the  taste  for  classic  art  was  rapidly  gaining 
ground.  In  the  fourth  year  of  King  Charles's  reign  (1628)  another 
Royal  Commission  was  appointed,  but  it  was  not  until  1633  that  the 
first  stone  of  the  work  was  laid.  Inigo  Jones  had  been  formally 
appointed  to  superintend  it.  The  then  Bishop  of  London  was  his  old 
patron  Laud,  at  whose  cost  the  eastern  wing  of  St.  John's  College, 
Oxford,  had  just  been  erected.  In  that  instance  some  respect  had  been 
felt  for  the  original  style  of  the  building,  and  the  new  wing  was  at 
least  Gothic  in  its  general  outline. 

It  would  not  have  been  surprising  if  similar  deference  had  been 
paid  to  the  original  design  of  so  grand  a  specimen  of  Mediaeval  archi- 
tecture as  old  St.  Paul's.  It  might  have  been  hoped,  too,  that  the 
bishop  would  have  recommended  an  adherence  to  ancient  precedent, 
if  only  on  the  score  of  congruity.  But  Jones  had  not  travelled  to 
Italy  for  nothing.  Here  was  an  opportunity  of  displaying  his  skill  in  a 
field  which  seemed  not  only  magnificent  in  itself,  but  had  all  the  addi- 
tional attraction  of  novelty.  He  went  to  work  without  the  slightest 
scruple.  The  walls  of  the  nave  were  remodelled.  Round-headed 
lights,  with  cherubim  for  key-stones,  supplanted  the  delicate  tracery  of 
the  old  windows.  Buttresses  were  replaced  by  pilasters,  and  battle- 
ments by  balustrading.  The  facades  were  scored  all  over  with  ugly 
lines  of  exhibited  masonry,  obelisks  stood  in  the  place  of  pinnacles, 
and  heavy  cornices  were  introduced  where  formerly  a  modest  drip-stone 
or  string-course  had  done  good  and  all-sufficient  service.  Finally,  at 
the  west  end  was  placed  a  Corinthian  portico,  which,  however  magni- 
ficent a  feature  in  itself,  must  have  been  a  hideous  deformity  where  it 


The  Fire  of  Loudon.  19 

stood.  It  was  not  fated  to  stand  there  long.  A  quarter  of  a  century 
had  scarcely  elapsed  before  the  whole  fabric  was  in  ruins.  It  has  been 
said  that  the  present  building — confessedly  a  noble  work  in  its  way — 
rose  like  a  Phoenix  from  the  ashes  of  the  Great  Fire.  But,  if  we  are 
to  indulge  at  all  in  such  a  poetical  conception,  let  us  rather  say  that  the 
good  genius  of  old  St.  Paul's  survived  the  catastrophe,  in  a  less  sub- 
stantial form,  indeed,  but  invested  with  a  more  congenial  spirit — 
that  spirit  which  has  induced  us  to  reverence  and  imitate  elsewhere, 
after  centuries  of  time,  the  elements  of  design  which  constituted  its 
ancient  glory. 


c  2 


2o  Anthony  a  J  Food. 


CHAPTER   II. 

E  have  seen  that  a  considerable  interest  in  the  ancient  archi- 
tecture of  Britain  was  sustained  during  the  seventeenth 
century  by  antiquarian  research.  Among  men  of  the  day  to 
whom  posterity  is  most  deeply  indebted  for  labours  in  that  direction 
was  one  who  has  been  already  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  third 
volume  of  the  '  Monasticon '  (which  he  had  assisted  Dugdale  to 
prepare),  but  whose  name  is  better  known  as  the  sole  author  of  an 
equally  important  work,  the  c  Athenae  Oxonienses.' 

Anthony,  son  of  Thomas  Awood,  or,  as  it  is  usually  written,  a 
JVood,  Bachelor  of  Arts  and  of  Civil  Law,  was  born  in  the  year  1631, 
opposite  Merton  College,  Oxford,  where  in  due  time  he  matriculated 
and  took  his  M.A.  degree.  He  appears  to  have  been  inclined  from 
early  youth  to  the  study  of  English  history  and  archaeological  lore. 
Oxford  was  a  field  which  naturally  presented  every  attraction  for  the 
exercise  of  his  tastes  as  an  antiquarian.  It  was  his  native  town.  It 
was  his  place  of  education.  It  supplied  him  at  once  with  a  rich  mine 
of  historical  interest,  and  with  the  means  of  working  it.  While  he  was 
still  a  young  man  he  wrote  a  treatise  on  the  antiquities  of  Oxford, 
which  was  esteemed  so  highly  by  the  heads  of  the  various  colleges  that 
they  ordered  a  Latin  translation  of  it,  which  appeared  in  1674,  under 
the  title  of  (  Historia  et  Antiquitates  Universitatis  Oxoniensisy  duobus 
vol/,  comprehenstf,'  fol.  It  was  prepared  with  immense  pains,  and  the 
author  intended  to  have  added  to  the  English  copy  some  account  of  the 
city  as  well  as  of  the  colleges.  But  he  was  hindered  by  his  labours  for 
another  work,  the  famous  c  Athenas,'  or  c  An  exact  History  of  all  the 


The  'A  thence  Oxouieuscs!  21 


Writers  and  Bishops  who  have  had  their  education  in  the  most  ancient 
and  famous  University  of  Oxford,  from  the  fifteenth  year  of  King 
Henrv  VII.  Dom.  1500,  to  the  end  of  the  year  1690.  To  which  are 
added  the  Fasti,  or  Annals  of  the  University  for  the  same  time.'  On 
this  book,  as  the  dates  in  the  title  show,  he  was  engaged  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  life,  and  it  is  impossible  to  overrate  the  extraordinary 
patience  and  research  involved  in  its  production.  Public  and  private 
libraries  were  ransacked,  wills  at  the  Prerogative  Office  examined, 
church  windows  inspected,  and  parish  registers  consulted,  to  attain  his 
object.  It  might  with  reason  be  supposed  that  such  untiring  industry, 
coupled  with  so  excellent  a  result,  would  have  gained  him  favour  and 
credit  at  Oxford.  But  in  those  days  a  mere  scholar  had  little  to  hope 
for  in  the  way  of  patronage.  Wood's  manners  were  not  of  that 
polished  kind  which  will  always  command  a  certain  order  of  popularity. 
His  habits  were  simple.  He  was  careless  in  his  dress.  It  was 
rumoured  that  he  had  joined  the  Romish  faith.  It  is  certain  that  he 
received  more  support  from  Roman  Catholics  than  from  members  of 
the  Established  Church.  Among  all  the  Dons  of  the  University  it 
seems  that  Mr.  Andrew  Allam,  Vice- Principal  of  St.  Edmund's  Hall, 
was  the  only  one  who  aided  his  exertions.  Unfortunately,  in  the 
'Athena?,'  he  had  alluded  to  Lord  Clarendon  in  somewhat  uncom- 
plimentary terms.  This  was  at  the  time  sufficient  to  bring  the  work 
into  ill- odour,  and  Wood  had  the  mortification  of  finding  it  expelled 
from  the  University.  He  was  now  advanced  in  years,  and  his  health 
succumbed  to  the  trials  which  he  had  undergone.  He  died  in  his 
sixty-fifth  year.  In  the  east  corner  of  the  north  side  of  St.  John's 
Church,  adjoining  Merton  College,  is  a  small  tablet  to  his  memory  : — 


H.  S.  E. 

ANTONIUS   WOOD  :    Antiquarius. 

Ob.  28  Nov.  A°.   1695.   ^Et.  64. 


A  century  had  nearly  elapsed  when  John  Gutch,  chaplain  of  All  Souls' 


22  Transition  of  Style. 


and  Corpus  Christi  Colleges,  republished  the  '  History  and  Antiquities 
of  Oxford,'  in  the  popular  edition  which  bears  his  name. 

The  origin  of  the  Gothic  Revival  presents  so  many  complicated 
features,  and  so  difficult  is  it  to  distinguish  the  latest  efforts  of  the  old 
school  from  the  earliest  attempts  towards  its  resuscitation,  that  it  would 
be  almost  impossible  to  draw  any  line  which  should  definitely  divide 
the  two  periods.  The  date  of  the  Great  Fire  of  London  presents,  no 
doubt,  an  important  boundary  between  the  one  and  the  other.  Yet 
neither  to  Wren  nor  to  Inigo  Jones  can  be  ascribed  the  first  intro- 
duction of  Italian  art.  So  early  as  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  Hans 
Holbein  had  designed  the  porch  of  Lord  Pembroke's  house  at  Wilton, 
and  some  portions  of  Windsor  Castle,  in  a  style  which  testified  the 
influence  of  a  foreign  school.  John  Thynne,  who  built  old  Somerset 
House  in  1567;  Robert  Adams,  superintendent  of  royal  buildings  to 
(^ueen  Elizabeth  ;  Theodore  Havens,  who  erected  Caius  College  in 
the  same  reign  ;  and  one  Stickles,  who  practised  in  England  about  1596, 
had  all  adopted  this  mongrel  species  of  architecture,  which  it  would  be 
incorrect  to  describe  as  Gothic.  On  the  other  hand,  Wren,  who  had 
reached  a  point  of  excellence  in  classic  design  which  we  have  not 
since  seen  surpassed,  himself  not  only  restored  Mediaeval  buildings,  but 
raised  new  ones  in  imitation  of  them. 

This  extraordinary  man  was  born  on  October  20,  1632  (one  year 
after  the  birth  of  Anthony  a  Wood).  He  was  the  son  of  a  clergyman, 
and  the  nephew  of  Dr.  Matthew  Wren,  whose  name  is  prominent  in  the 
ecclesiastical  history  of  his  times.*  He  received  an  excellent  education, 
and  no  one  was  better  fitted  to  profit  by  it.  It  is  recorded  that  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  he  had  invented  an  astronomical  machine,  and  a  few 

*  Dr  Matthew  Wren  was  impeached  by  order  of  the  House  of  Commons  in  1641,  and 
altogether  suffered  imprisonment  for  twenty  years.  Sir  Christopher,  as  a  young  man, 
became  intimate  with  Claypole,  who  had  married  Cromwell's  daughter,  and  there  is  an 
interesting  anecdote  that  'Mr.  Wicn  '  once  met  the  Protector  at  the  house  of  his  son-in- 
law,  and  received  in  m  his  own  lips  the  remission  of  Dr.  Wren's  punishment,  which  he 
immediately  conveyed  to  his  uncle. 


Sir  Christopher  IVren.  23 


years  later  made  discoveries  in  astronomy  and  gnomonics.  It  is  certain 
that,  at  twenty-five,  he  was  made  Astronomical  Professor  at  Gresham 
College,  which  office  he  resigned  in  1660,  for  the  Savilian  professorship 
at  Oxford.  His  life  was  a  long  one,  but  most  actively  employed,  and 
it  is  wonderful  to  think  how,  in  the  midst  of  his  professional  labours, 
and  while  he  was  in  the  height  of  his  practice,  he  could  find  leisure  for 
the  scientific  pursuits  which  then  constituted  his  chief  amusement.  At 
one  time,  we  find  him  lecturing  before  the  Royal  Society  (of  which  he 
became  president)  on  the  nature  of  ice  and  the  polarity  of  sapphires, 
at  another  discussing  the  properties  of  phosphorus  :  now  his  opinion 
is  asked  regarding  the  horns  of  a  moose-deer  found  in  some  Irish 
quarry  ;  then  he  turns  his  attention  to  the  art  of  mezzotint  engraving ; 
presently  he  reappears  engaged  in  experiments  relating  to  artificial 
incubation,  or  writes  a  report  on  some  phenomenon  of  medical  science. 
In  short,  he  was  a  man  of  most  versatile  talents,  and  the  various  details 
of  his  useful  life  afford  material  for  a  digression  which  might  be 
interesting  but  which  would  be  redundant  in  these  pagec.  With  the 
Gothic  Revival,  indeed,  Wren's  career  may  seem  at  first  sight  to  have 
little  in  common.  Yet  it  would  be  a  pity  to  omit  any  link  which  joins 
them,  and  there  is  more  than  one  point  of  contact  with  that  subject, 
both  in  his  writings  and  his  practice. 

Up  to  the  age  of  thirty-one,  he  had  received  no  public  commissions 
as  an  architect.  In  1663,  he  was  employed  by  Charles  II.  to  prepare 
designs  for  a  royal  palace  at  Greenwich,  and  about  the  same  time  the 
erection  of  the  Sheldonian  theatre  at  Oxford  was  begun  under  his 
superintendence.  But  an  event  was  at  hand  which  soon  afforded  more 
ample  scope  for  his  abilities.  The  Great  Fire  of  London,  whose  ruins 
covered  no  less  than  436  acres  ;  which  extended  from  the  Tower  to 
the  Temple  Church,  and  from  the  north-east  gate  to  Holborn-bridge  ; 
which  destroyed  in  the  space  of  four  days  eighty-nine  churches  (in- 
cluding St.  Paul's),  the  City  gates,  the  Royal  Exchange,  the  Custom 
House,  Guildhall,  Sion  College,  and  many  other  public  buildings,  besides 

*  c  4 


24  IVrcn  on  Salisbury  Cathedral. 


13,200  houses,  and  laid  waste  400  streets,  opened  a  field  for  practice 
which  no  Government  architect  had  ever  found  before,  or  will  probably 
ever  find  again. 

Within  a  few  days  after  the  fire,  Wren  began  his  plan  for  rebuilding 
the  City,  to  which  Mr.  Oldenburg,  secretary  of  the  Royal  Society, 
alludes  in  a  letter  to  the  Hon.  Robert  Boyle,  dated  September  18, 
1666.  '  Dr.  Wren  has,  since  my  last,  drawn  a  model  for  a  new  city, 
and  presented  it  to  the  king,  who  produced  it  before  his  council,  and 
manifested  much  approbation  of  it.  I  was  yesterday  morning  with  the 
Doctor,  and  saw  the  model,  which,  methinks,  does  so  well  provide  for 
security,  convenience,  and  beauty.' 

It  would  appear  from  this  fact  that  Wren  was  at  that  time  acting  as 
the  Government  architect,  and,  indeed,  the  Parentalia  fix  his  appoint- 
ment as  surveyor- general  before  that  period  ;  but,  according  to  Mr. 
Elmes  (whose  life  of  Wren  was  published  in  1823),  that  event  did 
not  occur  till  1669,  when  he  succeeded  to  the  office  in  place  of  Sir 
John  Denham,  who  had  previously  held  it. 

In  1668  he  was  employed  to  survey  Salisbury  Cathedral.  In  his 
report  thereon  he  speaks  of  the  whole  pile  as  magnificent,  and  f  one  of 
the  best  patterns  of  architecture  in  the  age  wherein  it  was  built.'  He 
finds  fault,  however,  With  the  foundations  and  c  poise '  of  the  building, 
and  his  remarks  on  that  subject  are  curious  and  interesting : — 

Almost  all  the  cathedrals  of  the  Gothic  form  (he  writes)  are  weak  and  de- 
Lai  ve  in  the  poise  of  the  vault  of  the  aisles  ;  as  for  the  vaults  of  the  nave  they 
are  on  both  sides  equally  supported  and  propped  up  from  spreading  by  the  bows 
of  flying  buttresses,  which  rise  from  the  outward  walls  of  the  aisles  ;  but  for  the 
vaults  of  the  aisles  they  are,  indeed,  supported  on  the  outside  by  buttresses,  but 
inwardly  they  have  no  other  stay  but  the  pillars  themselves,  which,  as  they  are 
usually  proportioned,  if  they  stood  alone  without  the  weight  above,  could  not 
resist  the  spreading  of  the  aisles  one  minute;  true,  indeed,  the  great  load  above  of 
the  walls  and  vaults  of  the  navis  should  seem  to  confirm  the  pillars  in  their  per- 
pendicular station.,  that  there  should  be  no  need  of  buttresses  inward.  But 
experience  hath  shown  the  contrary;  and  there  is  scarce  any  Gothic   cathedral 


Seventeenth  Century  Gothic.  25 

that  I  have  seen,  at  home  or  abroad,  wherein  I  have  not  observed  the  pillar  to 
yield  and  bend  inwards  from  the  weight  of  the  vault  of  the  aisle  ;  but  this  defect 
is  most  conspicuous  upon  the  angular  pillars  of  the  cross,  for  there  not  only  the 
vault  wants  butment,  but  also  the  angular  arches  that  rest  upon  that  pillar  ;  and, 
therefore,  both  conspire  to  thrust  it  inward  towards  the  centre  of  the  cross,  and 
this  is  very  apparent  in  the  fabric  we  treat  of.  For  this  reason,  this  form  of 
churches  has  been  rejected  by  modern  architects  abroad,  who  use  the  better  and 
Roman  art  of  architecture. 

In  1673  Wren  was  made  a  member  of  the  Royal  Commission  for  the 
rebuilding  of  St.  Paul's,  and  at  the  same  period  received  his  appoint- 
ment as  architect  to  the  new  structure.  From  that  date  up  to  within 
a  few  years  before  his  death  his  time  was  actively  employed  in  works 
of  great  importance,  but  which,  being  of  a  definitely  Italian  character 
need  not  here  be  enumerated.  His  attempts  at  Mediaeval  design  in 
London  were  among  the  later  works  of  his  life,  and  will  be  presently 
described.  His  earlier  efforts  in  that  direction  appear  in  a  field  itself 
remarkable  for  the  continuity  of  examples  which  it  affords  in  illus- 
tration of  Gothic  architecture,  from  the  Middle  Ages  down  to  the 
eighteenth  century. 

A  tendency  to  conservatism,  a  respect  for  ancient  traditions,  a 
jealousy  of  changes  which  it  has  had  no  share  in  originating,  are  cha- 
racteristics which  have  long  been  associated  with  the  University  of 
Oxford.  That  this  feeling  extended  to  questions  beyond  those  of  doc- 
trine or  politics — that  it  exercised  an  influence  in  retaining  the  old 
Tudor  style  of  building  for  colleges  at  Oxford  long  after  the  followers 
of  Palladio  had  introduced  a  new  fashion  of  art,  no  one  can  reason- 
ably doubt.  Nor  is  it  strange  that  the  members  of  such  an  ancient 
and  splendid  institution  should  have  been  unwilling  to  reject  that 
venerable  type  of  architecture  which  already  existed  in  so  many  local 
examples,  and  which  prevailed  at  a  period  whence  its  wealth  and 
magnificence  were  derived. 

An  early  specimen  of  seventeenth  century  Gothic  at  Oxford  is  that 
of  Wadham  College,  built  on  the  site  of  the  monastery  of  Austin  Friars 


26  Works  at  Oxford. 


during  the  years  1610-13,  the  first  stone  having  been  laid  on  July  31 
in  the  former  year,  and  the  first  warden,  Dr.  Wright,  admitted  on 
April  20,  16 13.  The  entrance  gateway,  groined  with  fan  tracery,  is  a 
curious  and  interesting  example  of  the  respect  shown  for  local  traditions 
of  design,  even  when  national  taste  in  architecture  had  undergone  a 
complete  change. 

So  excellent  in  character  are  the  style  and  construction  of  the  chapel 
windows  that  they  have  been  referred  to  an  earlier  period,  but  the 
college  books  contain  an  account  of  the  expenses  incurred  during  their 
erection,  and  thus  leave  little  doubt  on  the  subject.*  The  interior  of 
the  hall  contains  a  good  timber  roof  and  oak  screen,  Gothic  in  general 
form,  but  with  Italianised  detail.  The  great  south  and  oriel  windows 
are  very  fine  and  remarkable  examples  of  this  period. 

The  eastern  wing  of  the  Bodleian  Library  was  also  completed  in 
1 6 13,  and  is  a  very  creditable  work,  in  keeping  with  the  older  building 
to  which  it  was  then  added.  Three  years  later  Sir  John  Acland  built 
the  hall  at  Exeter  College,  one  of  the  best  specimens  of  a  refectory  in 
Oxford.  It  was  restored  and  refitted  in  the  early  part  of  this  century 
by  Nash.  But  the  general  design  is  still  what  it  was,  and  it  may  be 
questioned  whether  the  former  details  were  not  superior  to  those  which 
replaced  them.  The  Lite  chapel  of  the  same  college  was  erected  in  1624. 
Its  interior  was  divided  into  two  aisles.  The  windows  were  considered 
very  good  for  their  date.f  It  is  supposed  that  no  part  of  the  quadrangle 
is  older  than  the  time  of  James  I. 

Another  instance  of  Jacobean  Gothic  may  be  recognised  in  the  hall  of 
Trinity  College,  which,  although  it  has  undergone  some  alteration  since, 
was  originally  erected,  with  the  apartments  above  it,  about  16 19. 

The  buildings  of  Oriel  College  come  under  the  same  class.     The 

*  The  late  Mr.  O.  Jevvitt,  in  a  careful  and  ably  written  essay,  read  before  the  Archaeo- 
logical Institute  at  Oxford  in  1850,  described  with  great  accuracy  the  tracery  of  the 
windows  in  the  chapel  and  ante-chapel,  which,  though  differing  considerably  in  motive  of 
design  and  apparently  in  date,  appear  to  have  been  executed  at  one  and  the  same  time. 

f  This  building  was  removed  some  years  ago.  The  present  chapel,  which  will  be 
described  in  due  course,  was  erected  in  1857-58,  from  a  design  by  Mr.  G.  G.  Scott,  R.A. 


Th '0)ii a is  Holt.  27 


south  and  west  sides  of  the  outer  quadrangle  were  rebuilt  about  1620; 
the  northern  side,  together  with  the  hall  and  chapel,  finished  in  1637. 
They  are  unpretentious  in  character,  but  picturesque  in  their  way,  and 
exceedingly  interesting  as  links  in  the  chain  of  our  present  history. 

Immediately  opposite  the  front  of  Exeter  is  that  of  Jesus  College, 
originally  founded  by  Oueen  Elizabeth,  but  a  great  portion  of  the 
present  structure  is  due  to  the  munificence  of  Sir  Eubule  Thelwall, 
Knt.,  who  held  the  office  of  principal  in  162T.  He  built  the  prin- 
cipal's lodgings  at  his  own  expense,  as  well  as  the  kitchen,  buttery,  with 
chambers  over  them,  and  one  half  of  the  south  side  of  the  first  quad- 
rangle. The  chapel,  which  stands  on  the  north  side,  was  consecrated 
on  May  28,  1621.  The  east  window,  by  no  means  a  bad  specimen 
of  its  kind,  was  added  in  1636.  The  hall  was  completed  by  Sir 
Eubule  Thelwall,  of  whom  it  is  recorded  that  he  f  left  nothing  undone 
which  might  conduce  to  the  good  of  the  college.'  It  contains  an 
elaborately  carved  screen  (Jacobean  in  its  details),  and  is  lighted  by  a 
large  bay  window  which  forms  a  conspicuous  feature  in  the  quadrangle. 
The  roof,  though  now  hidden  by  a  plaster  ceiling,  was  originally  of 
solid  oak,  and  ornamented  with  pendents.* 

In  [624  died  Thomas  Holt,  an  architect  of  York,  to  whose  design 
many  of  the  University  buildings  of  this  period  are  attributed,  and  who 
certainly  seems  to  have  respected  the  ancient  traditions  of  his  art  in 
resisting  the  influence  of  a  foreign  taste.  According  to  Parker's  'Hand- 
book '  the  groined  vault  of  the  passage  under  the  eastern  wing  of  the 
Bodleian  Library  (usually  called  the  f  Pig  market ')  is  a  specimen  of 
his  skill,  as  well  as  many  college  gateways  of  the  same  date  and  cha- 
racter. He  also  designed  the  c  Schools '  which  had  been  founded  by 
Sir  Thomas  Bodley,  but  who  unfortunately  did  not  live  to  see  them 

*  The  buildings  facing  the  Turl  and  Market  Street  were  refronted  in  1856  under  the 
superintendence  of  Messrs.  Buckler.  The  chapel  was  restored  and  refitted  by  Mr.  G. 
E.  Street  in  1S64,  when  the  old  oak  wainscoting  which  formerlv  lined  its  walls  was 
removed. 


28  University  College,   Oxford. 


begun.  Holt  was  buried  at  Oxford  in  Holywell  churchyard.  His 
name  is  little  known  to  posterity  ;  but  admirers  of  that  architecture 
which  he  strove  to  sustain  against  the  tide  of  popular  caprice  will  cherish 
his  memory  with  a  feeling  akin  to  gratitude. 

Among  the  buildings  at  Oxford  erected  during  Holt's  lifetime,  if  not 
designed  by  himself,  is  the  chapel  of  Lincoln  College,  which  was  built  at 
the  expense  of  Lord  Keeper  Williams  (successively  Bishop  of  Lincoln 
and  Archbishop  of  York),  and  consecrated  on  September  15,  1 63 1 . 
The  interior  is  sixty-two  feet  long  by  twenty-six  feet  in  width,  and  is 
handsomely  furnished  with  a  screen  and  wainscoting  of  cedar.  It 
contains  some  rich  and  brilliantly  coloured  glass,  some  of  which  is  said 
to  have  been  brought  from  Italy  in  1629.*  The  south  quadrangle  of 
the  same  college  is  earlier,  having  been  begun  about  the  year  16 12, 
when  Sir  Thomas  Rotheram,  formerly  a  fellow,  gave  300/.  towards 
the  expense  of  its  erection. 

Another  specimen  of  the  same  school  —  more  important  in  point  of 
size,  but  hardly  equal  to  it  in  merit — is  University  College.  Although 
this  is  one  of  the  oldest  foundations  in  Oxford,  and  claims  King  Alfred 
for  its  earliest  patron,  no  portion  of  the  present  structure  existed  before 
the  time  of  Charles  I.  In  1634  the  first  stone  of  the  west  side  was 
laid,  and  in  the  following  year  the  hall  and  chapel  front,  as  well  as  the 
High  Street  front,  were  begun.  The  east  side  is  much  later,  and  was 
not  finished  until  1674.  One  Mr.  Greenwood,  a  fellow  of  the  college, 
is  said  to  have  suggested  the  design,  and  to  have  contributed  1,500/. 
towards  the  work. 

The  quadrangle  is  one  hundred  feet  square,  and  is  entered  by  a 
vault,  groined  over  with  fan  tracery,  and  supporting  a  superstructure 
which  rises  a  storey  higher  than  the  adjacent  buildings.  The  following 
particulars  are  added  from  Parker's  '  Handbook  to  Oxford  ' : — 

The  glass  of  the  east  window,  which  bears  the  date  1631,  is  very  curious  as  indi- 
cating a  well-defined  transition  of  style  from  ancient  to  modern  art.  The  figures  are  small 
and  represent  incidents  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  Medieval  in  general  design,  but 
evidently  influenced  by  the  growing  taste  for  realistic  treatment. 


Charles    Church,  Plymouth.  29 


Over  the  gate  on  the  north  side  is  a  statue  of  Queen  Anne,  whilst  the  niche 
in  the  interior  is  filled  with  one  of  James  II.,  given  to  the  college  by  Obadiah 
Walker,  master,  in  1687,  who  afterwards  lost  his  headship  for  his  adherence  to 
the  Church  of  Rome.  The  lesser  quadrangle  measures  about  80  ft.  square,  and 
is  open  to  the  south.  The  north  and  east  sides,  the  latter  of  which  is  occupied 
by  the  master's  lodgings,  were  built  about  the  year  1 7 19.  .  .  .  The  interior 
of  the  chapel — notwithstanding,  as  Dr.  Ingram  remarks,  the  incongruity  of  Co- 
rinthian ornaments  in  a  Gothic  room — is  admired  for  the  elegance  of  its  general 
appearance,  which  is  much  assisted  by  the  groined  ceiling  and  the  carving  in  the 
style  of  Gibbons  in  the  oak  screen  and  cedar  wainscot  which  encloses  the  altar. 

The  present  hall  was  completed  about  1657,  but  the  inferior  entirely 
refitted  in  1766  at  the  expense  of  members  of  the  college  whose  armo- 
rial bearings  are  represented  on  the  wainscot  panels.  The  fireplace 
bears  some  resemblance  to  the  canopy  of  an  altar  tomb  in  the  Deco- 
rated period.  It  was  the  gift  of  Sir  Roger  Newdigate,  founder  of  the 
well-known  university  prize  for  English  verse  which  bears  his  name. 
The  hall  is  paved  with  slabs  of  Swedish  and  Danish  marble.  A  library, 
built  over  the  kitchen  and  at  right  angles  with  the  hall,,  was  added   in 

1669. 

In  1640  Dr.  Saunders,  principal  of  St.  Mary  Hall,  erected,  on  the 
site  of  an  older  edifice,  the  hall  and  refectory  of  that  foundation,  with 
the  chapel  above.  The  windows  of  the  latter  building  are  enclosed  by 
flat- pointed — almost  semicircular — arches  ;  the  mullions  do  not  run 
up  straight  to  the  arch  head,  but  branch  off  in  tracery,  which  intersects 
at  reo-ular  intervals  and  terminates  without  mitre  at  the  intrados — a 
form  frequently  adopted  in  work  of  this  period.  There  is  a  church  at 
Plymouth,  commonly  called  Charles'  Church — probably  because  it  was 
erected  in  the  time  of  the  Stuarts — which  has  tracery  of  this  description, 
and  is  a  very  curious  example  of  seventeenth  century  Gothic* 

*  '  A  petition  was  ordered  to  be  prepared  from  the  Corporation,  settii.g  forth  the  state 
of  the  parish,  and  praying  the  king  to  grant  permission  for  the  building  of  a  new  church 
"  upon  a  piece  or  parcel  of  land  called  or  known  by  the  name  of  the  Coney  Yard,  now 
Giver's  Yard,  lately  given  us  by  John    Hele,  of  Wembury,  Esquire,  to    that    use."     The 


30  The  Tom  Tower,  Christchurch. 


o 


Coeval  with  St.  Mary  Hall  is  the  staircase  entrance  to  the  hall  of 
Christchurch.  It  is  vaulted  over  with  fan  tracery  of  a  very  chaste 
and  beautiful  description.  The  stairs  were  altered  to  their  present 
form  by  Wyatt,  but  the  groining  and  central  pillar  date  from  1640,  or 
even  earlier.  The  celebrated  Tom  Tower,  of  the  same  college,  was 
designed  by  Wren,  and,  from  the  prominent  position  which  it  occupies, 
presents  one  of  the  most  remarkable  features  in  the  university.  It  rises 
from  the  great  entrance,  commonly  called  the  Tom  Gate,  which  formed 
part  of  Wolsey's  splendid  scheme.  It  is  octagonal  in  form,  and  intro- 
duced to  the  square  substructure  by  that  species  of  huge  chamfer  or 
splay  which  may  be  observed  in  other  designs  by  this  master,  and  an 
intervening  panelled  storey,  on  one  face  of  which  the  clock  is  placed. 
On  this  the  upper  portion  of  the  tower  is  raised,  its  eight  sides  being 
pierced  to  full  two-thirds  of  its  height  by  pointed  windows,  canopied  bv 
an  ogival  hood-moulding.  These  windows  are  divided  into  two  lights, 
the  space  above  the  springing  being  filled  in  with  tracery,  the  style  of 
which  is  copied  from  late  Perpendicular  work.  Between  the  windows, 
and  at  each  angle  of  the  octagon,  buttresses  occur,  terminating  below  the 
panelled  storey  in  a  corbel  and  upwards  in  a  crocketted  pinnacle.  The 
whole  is  surmounted  by  a  dome-shaped  roof  similar  in  character  to 
those  which  crown  the  turrets  on  either  side  of  the  entrance.  It  was 
completed  in  1682. 


Act  for  dividing  the  parishes  passed  in  1640,  and  the  church  appears  to  have  been  com- 
menced forthwith  ;  but  troublous  times  were  in  store  for  Plymouth  ;  the  civil  war  broke 
out ;  the  town  sided  with  the  Parliament,  and  during  its  three  years'  siege  had  little  time  or 
inclination  to  proceed  with  the  church  to  be  dedicated  to  the  king  In  1646,  active  steps 
were  taken  for  completing  the  building,  but  it  was  a  long  and  tiresome  job  for  architect, 
builder,  and  employers;  and  not  until  1658  was  the  church  finished,  and  then  minus  the 
spire,  which  appears  not  to  have  been  built  before  1707.  Shortly  after  the  Restoration, 
the  church  was  consecrated,  and  ever  after  went  by  the  name  of  Charles'  Church. 

'For  its  time,  Charles'  Church — which  consists  of  a  nave  with  aisles,  and  a  chancel  not 
very  deeply  recessed — is  a  remarkably  good  building.  .  .  The  outline  of  the  tower  and  spire 
is  almost  perfect.  The  east  window  of  the  chancel  is  a  fine  specimen  of  geometric  tracery. 
Elsewhere,  however,  there  is  a  contradiction  of  styles,  and  a  jumble  of  Perpendicular, 
Elizabethan,  and  classic  details.'— Extract  from  Mr.  J.  Hinc's  published  paper  on  'The 
Ancient  Building  ofPlymouth.' 


The  Tom  Tower,  Christ  Chun';,  Oxford. 

Sir  Christopher  Wren,  Architect,  16S2. 


Brasenose  College,  Oxford.  31 


This  example  is  cited  as  one  of  the  most  important  of  Wren's  Gothic 
designs  at  Oxford.  He  had,  however,  made  other  essays  there  in  the 
same  direction  at  a  much  earlier  period.  The  library  and  chapel  of 
Brasenose  College,  which  were  finished  in  1663,  are  ascribed  to  him. 
They  consist  in  a  curious  mixture  of  the  two  styles,  composite  pilasters 
between  two  pointed  windows,  and  Mediaeval  pinnacles  surmounting  an 
Italian  cornice.  The  east  window  is,  however,  a  very  fair  imitation  of 
Mediaeval  art,  and  the  roof,  adorned  with  fan  tracery,  shows  at  least 
that  the  example  of  earlier  times  was  not  without  influence  upon  the 
designer. 

In  addition  to  those  already  mentioned,  there  are  several  instances  in 
and  near  Oxford  of  buildings  which  illustrate  an  attempted  revival  of 
Gothic  architecture  after  the  accession  of  Charles  II.  Among  these 
may  be  named  Islip  Church,  where  the  chancel  was  rebuilt  by  Dr. 
Robert  South  on  an  ancient  model  and  with  tolerable  success  in  1680.* 

We  must  now,  however,  revert  to  Wren's  work  in  London,  of 
which  there  are  one  or  two  examples  which  bear  directly  on  our  subject. 
The  first  of  these  in  chronological  order  was  his  so-called  restoration 
of  the  north  side  of  Westminster  Abbey  and  the  erection  of  its  towers. 
Previous  to  this,  however,  he  had  drawn  up  a  report  on  the  state  of  the 
building.  It  was  addressed  to  the  Bishop  of  Rochester,  and  contains 
some  remarkable  observations,  not  only  on  the  abbey  itself  but  upon 
Gothic  architecture  in  general.  Wren  had  no  doubt  a  greater  con- 
structive genius  than  Inigo  Jones,  and  his  comments  on  the  structural 
mistakes  committed  by  Mediaeval  builders  are  often  to  the  point.  But 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  conditions  of  the  art  in  which  he  proved 
himself  so  efficient  a  master,  were,  and  ever  will  be,  utterly  dissimilar 
from  those  which  directed  the  aim  of  Mediaeval  builders.  With  an 
abundant  supply  of  material  we  may  always  raise  a  strong  edifice  ;  but 
when  the  external  appearance  of  that  edifice  is  not  required  to  convey 

*  This  church  has  since   been   much  altered,  and  under  the   plea   of  restoration   the 
c.:rious  and  historically  interesting  chancel  raised  by  Dr.  South  has  been  destroyed. 


32  Old  and  New  St.  PauFs. 


an  accurate  notion  of  the  size  or  shape  of  its  interior  there  is  absolutely 
no  limit  to  the  stability  which  it  may  assume.  Supposing,  for  instance, 
St.  Paul's  had  been  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  the  proportions  would 
have  remained  unaltered;  but  there  would  have  been  no  human  science 
in  its  strength.  This  is,  of  course,  a  reductio  ad  absurdum>  but  it  may 
serve  to  illustrate  a  principle.  If  the  superficial  area  of  old  St.  Paul's 
be  contrasted  with  that  of  Wren's  building  ;  if  the  cubical  contents  of 
the  one  be  measured  with  those  of  the  other  ;  if  the  proportion  of  solid 
masonry  employed  in  each  structure  be  compared  with  the  available 
space  which  it  contains  ;  it  may  be  questioned  whether  the  science 
displayed  in  the  original  building  was  not  of  a  higher  order  than  that 
which  distinguishes  the  present  edifice.  For  the  former  cathedral  was 
in  practical  reality  what  it  seemed  to  be,  and  as  it  possessed  no  one  con- 
structive feature  which  did  not  serve  a  purpose,  so  also  no  portion  of 
its  external  appearance  belied  its  internal  capacity.  Wren's  dome,  on 
the  contrary,  with  its  elaborate  complication  of  conical  walls,  penden- 
tives,  iron  chains,  paraboloid  and  hyperboloid  curves,  may  be  a 
triumph  of  mathematical  and  engineering  skill,  but,  as  architecture,  is 
nothing  more  than  a  grand  and  magnificent  sham  ;  and  few  of  those 
who  admire  the  graceful  contour  of  its  outline,  towering  high  above  the 
smoke  and  dust  of  busy  London,  recollect,  or  were  ever  aware,  that  it 
is  a  simply  ornamental  feature,  which  not  only  has  little  connection  with 
the  dome  they  have  admired  while  standing  in  the  choir  or  nave  of 
St.  Paul's,  but  which,  if  really  executed  as  it  seems  to  be,  would  look 
ugly  and  disproportionate  from  within. 

But  Sir  Christopher,  who  did  not  hesitate  to  expend  thousands  of 
pounds  on  a  gigantic  artifice,  and  who,  for  the  mere  sake  of  effect, 
reared  this  grand  but  useless  portion  of  his  building  hundreds  of  feet 
into  the  air,  could  not  forgive  the  employment  of  those  features  of 
Gothic  architecture  which  he  blindly  deemed  unserviceable  in  regard 
both  to  its  construction  and  embellishment.  c  Pinnacles,'  says  he,  in 
his  report  on  Westminster  Abbey,  c  are  of  no  use  and  little  ornament. 


Wrens  Report  on  Westminster  Abbey.  33 


The  pride  of  a  very  high  roof  raised  above  reasonable  pitch  is  not  of 
duration,  for  the  lead  is  apt  to  slip,  but  we  are  tied  to  this  indiscreet 
form,  and  must  be  content  with  original  faults  in  the  first  design.'  He 
then  goes  on  to  lament,  with  some  reason,  that  oak  was  not  more  used 
instead  of  chestnut  in  Westminster  Hall  and  other  places,  and  proceeds 
to  describe  the  steps  he  had  taken  towards  the  c  restoration  ' : 

First,  in  repair  of  the  stone  work,  what  is  done  shows  itself.  Beginning  from 
the  east  window,  we  have  cut  out  all  the  ragged  ashlar,  and  invested  it  with 
better  stone  out  of  Oxfordshire,  down  the  river  from  the  quarries  about  Burford 
.  .  .  .  We  have  amended  and  secured  the  buttresses  in  the  cloister  garden, 
as  to  the  greatest  part,  and  we  proceed  to  finish  that  side.  The  chapels  on  the 
south  are  done,  and  most  of  the  arch  buttresses  all  along  as  we  proceeded.  We 
have  not  done  much  on  the  north  side,  for  these  reasons  :  the  houses  on  the 
north  side  *  are  so  close  that  there  is  not  room  left  for  the  raising  of  scaffolds  and 
ladders,  nor  for  passage  for  bringing  materials  ;  besides  the  tenants  taking  every 
inch,  to  the  very  walls  of  the  church,  to  be  in  their  leases,  this  ground,  already 
too  narrow,  is  divided,  as  the  backsides  to  houses,  with  wash-houses,  chimnies, 
privies,  cellars,  the  vaults  of  which  if  indiscreetly  dug  against  the  foot  of  a  but- 
tress may  inevitably  ruin  the  vaults  of  the  chapels  (and,  indeed,  I  perceive  such 
mischief  is  already  done  by  the  opening  of  the  vaults  of  the  octagonal  chapel  on 
that  side),  and  unless  effectual  means  will  be  taken  to  prevent  all  nuisances  of 
this  sort,  the  works  cannot  proceed  ;  and  if  finished  may  soon  be  destroyed    . 

The  angles  of  pyramids  (!)  in  the  Gothic  architecture  were  usually  en- 
riched with  the  flower  the  botanists  call  calceolus,  which  is  a  proper  form  to  help 
workmen  to  ascend  on  the  outside  to  amend  any  defects,  without  raising  large 
scaffolds  upon  every  slight  occasion. 

He   then   alludes  to  the  state   in  which  he  found  the  old  western 
towers.      c  It  is  evident,'  he  writes,  c  that  they  (the  towers)   were  left 

*  The  appearance  of  Westminster  Abbey  in  those  days  must  have  been  very  similar  to 
that  presented  by  many  Continental  cathedrals  in  our  own  time.  It  seems  to  have  been 
crowded  and  built  round  with  tenements  of  a  humble  description.  Happily  these  have 
been  long  since  cleared  away ;  but  so  little  respect  was  paid  to  the  building,  even  down  to 
the  beginning  of  this  century,  that  a  thoroughfare  was  permitted  right  through  the  nave, 
and  porters  lounged  there  with  their  loads. 

D 


34  Wren's  Work  at  Westminster, 


imperfect,  and  have  continued  so  since  the  dissolution  of  the  monastery, 
one  being  much  higher  than  the  other,  though  still  too  low  for  bells, 
which  are  stifled  by  the  height  of  the  roof  above  them  ;  they  ought  cer- 
tainly to  be  carried  to  an  equal  height,  one  storey  above  the  ridge  of 
the  roof,  still  continuing  the  Gothic  manner  in  the  stone-work  and 
tracery.'  He  fully  recognises  the  use  of  the  steeple  in  giving  superin- 
cumbent weight,  and  therefore  stability  to  the  piers  below,  and  attributes 
to  the  absence  of  that  feature  over  the  crux  a  deviation  from  the  per- 
pendicular, noticeable  in  the  shafts  which  occur  at  the  intersection  of 
nave  and  transepts.  He  proposes  that  the  central  tower  should  be 
carried  up  as  much  above  the  roof  as  it  is  wide,  and  adds,  that  if  a  spire 
were  added  to  it,  it  would  give  a  grace  to  the  whole  fabric,  and  the  west 
end  of  the  city,  c  which  seems  to  want  it.'  c  I  have  made  a  design,'  he 
adds,  with  reference  to  th:s  scheme,  c  which  will  not  be  very  expensive, 
but  light,  and  still  in  the  Gothic  form,  and  of  a  style  with  the  rest  of 
the  structure,  which  I  would  strictly  adhere  to  throughout  the  whole 
intention.  To  deviate  from  the  whole  form  would  be  to  run  into  a  dis- 
agreeable mixture,  which  no  person  of  a  good  taste  could  relish.' 

How  far  Sir  Christopher  maintained  this  resolution — or  rather,  let  us 
say,  how  far  he  understood  the  characteristics  of  that  noble  building 
which  he  thus  undertook  to  restore  and  even  to  improve  upon — those 
who  examine  his  work  at  Westminster  with  a  critical  eye  will  soon 
determine.  The  best  that  can  be  urged  in  his  favour  is  that  he  worked 
according  to  the  light  which  was  in  him,  and  that  the  stone  which  he 
employed  in  his  repairs  was  of  more  durable  kind  than  that  of  which 
most  of  the  original  masonry  was  composed.  But  there  are  few, 
perhaps,  among  us  who  would  not  have  preferred  even  the  crumbling 
relics  of  the  ancient  building  to  the  cold  and  uninteresting  patchwork 
which  now  defaces  the  north  transept.  We  find  heavy  circular  discs 
replacing  boss-work  of  the  most  delicate  description,  and  huge  acorn- 
shaped  lumps  of  stone  where  formerly  many  a  chastely  profiled  corbel 
was  in    service.      '1  he   old    arch    mouldings    are,   indeed,   copied   with 


Westminster  Abbey  Towers.  35 

tolerable  accuracy  here  and  there,  but  the  rich  and  crisp  leafage  of  the 
Early  English  capitals  is  feebly  imitated  in  that  lifeless  carving  which 
forms  its  present  substitute.  As  for  the  western  towers,  they  are  too 
well  known  to  need  much  comment  here.  But  when  we  examine  their 
heavy  horizontal  lines  of  cornice  and  string-course,  their  circular  panels 
crowned  by  hideous  pediments  (which,  to  use  Wren's  own  words,  can 
be  c  of  no  use  and  little  ornament ')  ;  when  we  raise  our  eyes  to  the 
ugly,  uncusped  tracery  of  their  upper  windows,  and  that  bungling 
ogival  hood-mould  which  surrounds  them,  or  still  higher  to  the 
clumsy  truss-work  which  supports  the  topmost  pinnacles — we  can 
but  lament  that  a  man  whose  fame  has  been  transmitted  to  nos- 
terity  as  the  greatest  architect  whom  England  has  produced  should 
have  been  thus  associated  with  the  degradation  of  one  of  her  fairest 
monuments. 

Crude  and  unsatisfactory  as  Wren's  attempts  at  design  in  Pointed 
architecture  undoubtedly  were,  it  is  impossible  not  to  regard  them  with 
interest  when  we  remember  that  they  formed  exceptions  not  only  to  the 
popular  taste  of  their  day,  but  to  the  unparalleled  successes  of  their 
author  himself.  That  Sir  Christopher  ever  adopted  a  style  in  which  he 
saw  few  merits,  and  such  merits  as  certainly  are  not  pre-eminently  cha- 
racteristic of  that  style,  must  always  appear  strange.  It  is  difficult  to 
imagine  that  a  mind  which  could  conceive  such  an  edifice  as  St.  Paul's 
could  have  much  sympathy  with  the  spirit  of  Mediaeval  buildings. 
But  it  is  stranger  still,  if  he  admired  them  at  all — and  Wren  certainly  pro- 
fessed to  do  so — that  he  should  have  been  so  utterly  incapable  of  recog- 
nising or  imitating  the  most  essential  elements  of  their  grace.  Yet  it 
was  better  that  such  churches  as  St.  Marv  Aldermary  and  St.  Dunstan's- 
in-the-East  should  be  erected  than  that  the  use  of  the  Pointed  arch 
should  be  clean  forgotten  in  our  metropolis.  They  are,  indeed,  melan- 
choly examples  of  Gothic  art,  but  any  examples  which  date  from  such 
a  period  become  valuable  links  in  the  history  of  its  revival. 

The  year  in  which  St.  Mary  Aldermary  was  completed  is  quoted  by 

u  2 


36  St.  Mary  Aldcrmary. 


Elmes  as  171 1.  His  authority  is  doubtless  from  the  '  Parentalia,  or 
Memoirs  of  the  Wren  Family,'  published  by  Sir  Christopher's  grandson, 
in  1750.  But  the  c  Parentalia,' as  Elmes  himself  points  out,  contain 
many  chronological  errors,  and  probably  this  is  one  of  them.  According 
to  a  tablet  on  its  walls,  St.  Mary  Aldermary  was  opened  for  public 
service  in  1682.*  The  original  church  had  been  burnt  down  in  the 
Great  Fire.  It  was  rebuilt  at  the  cost  of  one  Henry  Rogers,  on  the 
same  plan  as  the  old  building,  which  will  to  some  extent  account  for  the 
style,  and  for  the  fact  that  the  east  wall  of  the  chancel  is  not  at  right 
angles  with  the  nave,  an  accident  which  we  may  be  sure  Wren's  love  of 
eurythmia  would  not  have  permitted  had  he  not  been  compelled  to  ad- 
here to  the  ancient  boundary  by  some  stringent  conditions.  It  consists 
of  a  nave  and  two  aisles,  each  roofed  over  inside  by  plaster  groining. 
That  over  the  nave  (which  is  lighted  by  clerestory  windows)  is  divided 
into  circular  panels  decorated  with  cusping  and  filled  in  the  centre  with 
floral  enrichment.  The  panels  which  occur  over  the  aisles  are  oval  in 
plan,  and  some  are  pierced  as  skylights. f  They  are  surrounded  at 
their  outer  edge  by  leaf  ornament.  These  panels  are  met  and  inter- 
sected by  groining,  which  springs  from  slender  attached  shafts,  over 
each  pier  in  the  nave,  and  from  small  corbels  in  the  aisles.  Below  the 
base  line  of  these  shafts,  and  in  the  spandrels  of  the  nave  arches,  is 
introduced  stonework  carved  with  shields,  scrolls,  and  cherubim.  The 
latter  are  no  doubt  intended  to  be  grotesque,  for  they  wear  grimaces 
seldom  seen  in  this  ordinary  type  of  plethoric  celestiality.  They 
are,  however,  very  far  removed  from  that  school  of  conventional  art 
which   Ruskin   has  called  '  noble   grotesque,'  and,  indeed,  the  whole 

*  The  inscription  runs  thus  :  —  'This  church  was  pav'd  and  wainscoted  at  ye  charge  of 
both  parishes,  namely,  St.  Mary  Aldcrmary  and  St.  Tho.  ye  Apostle,  and  also  opened  in 
ye  year  of  our  Lord  God,  1682.     Ralph  Smith,  &c.  Churchwardens.' 

t  The  north  aisle  wall  is  decorated  internally  by  blank  windows,  in  imitation  of  those 
on  the  opposite  side.  They  never  were  constructed  to  admit  light:  in  fact,  when  the 
cliurch  was  rebuilt,  this  wall  abutted  on  some  adjoining  buildings  (now  removed).  Hence 
the  necessity  of  skylights. 


Sf.  Alary  Aldermary.  37 


of  the  carving,  though   clever  in   its  way,  is  anything   but  Gothic    in 
character. 

The  east  window  consists  of  five  lights,  divided  by  a  heavy  transom 
of  peculiar  section.  Each  light  has  a  cinquefoil  head.  The  chancel  is 
roofed  by  a  segmental  vault,  of  which  the  central  compartment  is  oval 
and  the  rest  is  divided  into  little  oblong  panels,  with  ogival  trefoiled 
heads,  such  as  are  common  in  late  Perpendicular  work.  By  this  ar- 
rangement, the  obliquity  of  the  east  gable-wall,  which  has  been  alreadv 
mentioned,  is  made  less  apparent.  This  ceiling  is  also  executed  in 
plaster.  The  arches  of  the  nave  are  flat-pointed,  and  appear  to  have 
been  struck  from  four  centres,  though  the  contour  of  their  intrados  is 
such  as  almost  to  justify  the  belief  that  it  is  elliptical  in  parts.  A 
string-course,  which  runs  down  the  nave,  just  above  the  apex  of  each 
arch  divides  them  from  the  clerestory  windows.  The  piers  are  similar 
in  plan  to  those  of  many  Tudor  churches  in  the  west  of  England,  and 
consist  of  three-quarter  shafts  stopping  against  a  plain  face,  and  sepa- 
rated by  a  hollow,  which  is  carried  round  the  arch.  The  bases  occur 
about  four  feet  from  the  ground,  the  rest  of  the  pier  being  boxed  in  by 
wainscoting.  The  base  moulding  is  very  peculiar,  and  unlike  anv 
example  of  even  late  genuine  Gothic.  In  section  it  resembles  the  profile 
of  an  Early  English  cap  inverted.  Three-light  windows  occur  in  the 
clerestory  and  south  aisle. 

Neither  the  font,  pulpit,  nor  altarpiece  can  be  said  to  have  any  pre- 
tensions to  a  Gothic  form.  The  first  bears  date  1682.  The  last  is  a 
composite  design,  not  inelegant  of  its  kind,  and  distinguished  by  some 
good  carving  which  has  been  attributed  to  Grinlin  Gibbons.  An 
incised  slab  in  the  pavement  describes  it  as  the  gift  of  Dame  Jane 
Smith,  relict  of  a  worthy  knight  of  that  name.  The  old  tower,  which 
escaped  destruction  during  the  Fire,  is  still  standing,  and  bears  evidence 
of  Wren's  repair  in  its  upper  windows  and  other  portions  of  the  detail. 
The  organ  and  organ  gallery  are  later  in  date,  and  belong  to  that 
class  of  design  which  is  ignominiously  known  as  f  carpenter's  Gothic' 


-^8  St.  Duns  fan  's-in-t he-East. 


j 


In  the  year  1699  Wren  finished  the  spire  of  St.  Dunstan's-in-the- 
East.  The  body  of  the  church  had  only  been  repaired  by  him.  This 
latter  portion  of  the  structure  was  taken  down  early  in  the  present 
century  and  rebuilt  by  Mr.  Laing,  then  architect  to  the  Custom  House,* 
so  that  the  tower  is  all  that  remains  there  of  Wren's  work,  and  therefore 
all  that  it  is  now  necessary  to  describe. 

Including  the  spire,  which  occupies  about  one-third  of  its  height,  it 
stands  167  ft.  from  the  ground.  The  tower  itself  is  divided  into  three 
storeys,  of  which  the  lower  are  strengthened  by  buttresses  placed 
anglewise  at  each  corner.  Above  the  second  storey  these  become  octa- 
gonal turrets,  surmounted  by  pinnacles  above  the  parapet.  From  the 
base  of  these  pinnacles  spring  flying  buttresses  in  an  elliptical  curve, 
and  the  latter  meeting  together  form  the  base  of  a  spire,  pierced  with 
lights  at  its  lower  end,  but  terminating  in  solid  masonry  above.  The 
union  of  the  buttresses  with  the  spire  is  ingeniously  managed  by 
carrying  up  the  stonework  in  stepped  courses  over  the  last  voussoir  of 
each  arch,  and  thus  forming  a  firm  foundation  for  the  superstructure. 
It  is  remarkable  that  these  steps  are  not  f  weathered  '  after  the  manner 
of  ordinary  buttresses,  yet  so  excellent  is  the  quality  of  the  stone  em- 
ployed that  it  does  not  seem  to  have  suffered  the  slightest  decay,  and 
indeed  the  whole  of  the  masonry  of  this  portion  appears  as  sound  as 
if  it  had  been  just  executed. 

The  spire  itself  is  octagonal  in  plan  and  crowned  at  the  top  by  a 
flat-headed  finial,  gilt  ball,  and  weathercock.  Small  pinnacles  occur  in 
the  centre  of  the  parapet  on  each  side  of  the  tower,  after  a  fashion  very 
prevalent  in  Somersetshire  churches.  The  base  of  the  tower,  which  is 
at  the  west  end  of  the  building,  forms  a  porch  roofed  over  inside  with 
a  spherical  vault  panelled  a  la  Renaissance.  The  south  and  west  door- 
ways are  spanned  by  a  pointed  arch,  of  which  the  tympanum  is  of 
panelled  stonework  pierced  for  light  in  the  centre,  and  supported  by  a 

With  the  assistance  of  Mr.  (now  Sir  William)  Tite,  who  supplied  the  design  and 
superintended  its  execution. 


Tower  of  St.  D  u  list  a  lis.  39 


lower  segmental  arch  which  forms  the  door-head.  The  central  storey 
of  the  tower  contains  on  the  east  and  west  sides  a  circular  window, 
foiled  with  eight  cusps,  and  enclosed  by  a  square  moulded  panel.  A 
similar  space  on  the  north  and  south  sides  is  allotted  to  a  clock,  which 
is  marked  with  the  date  1681.  These  circular  windows,  and  the  tracery 
of  those  in  the  upper  storey,  are  among  the  best  features  of  the  tower. 
The  spire  itself,  though  lamentably  deficient  in  purity  of  detail,  has  a 
certain  picturesque  character  of  its  own,  which  the  sound  and  straight- 
forward principles  on  which  it  was  built  could  not  fail  to  impart.  Mr. 
Elmes,  in  his  '  Life  of  Wren,'  alludes  to  it  in  terms  of  unmeasured 
praise.  f  Of  this  masterpiece  of  construction,'  says  he,  c  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  it  stands  unrivalled  for  elegance,  beauty,  and  science. 
When  Sir  Christopher  designed  this  steeple,  the  noblest  monument  of  geo- 
metrical and  constructive  skill  in  existence  (!),  and  unequalled  also  for 
lightness  and  elegance,  he  had  doubtless  those  of  St.  Nicholas,  at  New- 
castle- on-Tyne,  and  of  the  High  Church,  Edinburgh,  in  his  mind,  but 
he  has  surpassed  them  in  every  essential  quality.' 

There  is  an  anecdote,  unauthenticated  by  any  data,  concerning  this 
tower,  that  Wren,  though  convinced  of  the  accuracy  of  his  calculations 
for  its  stability,  and  of  the  theories  which  had  guided  him  in  its  design, 
felt  some  apprehension  as  the  time  drew  near  for  the  practical  test  of  his 
skill.  He  is  said  to  have  watched  the  removal  of  the  framework  which 
had  supported  the  spire  during  its  construction,  through  a  telescope  from 
London  Bridge,  and  to  have  felt  great  relief  when  a  rocket  announced 
that  all  was  safe.  Failure  at  such  a  moment  might,  indeed,  have 
damaged  his  professional  reputation,  great  as  it  then  was,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  terrible  consequences  which  must  have  attended  an 
accident;  but  we  may  question  whether  a  man  of  such  profound 
mathematical  attainments,  and  of  so  vast  a  practical  experience  as  Sir 
Christopher,  could  have  so  far  underrated  his  capabilities  as  to  doubt  on 
such  a  point  at  all.  Indeed,  it  is  well  known  that  on  one  occasion  when 
he  was  informed  that  there  had  been  a  hurricane  on  the  previous  night 


4o  St.  Michael's,  Corn  hill. 


which  had  damaged  all  the  steeples  in  London,  he  replied  at  once,  *  Not 
St.  Dunstan's,  I  am  sure.' 

St.  Alban's,  Wood  Street,  may  be  mentioned  as  another  of  Wren's 
attempts  at  Gothic,  but  it  is  hardly  worth  description.  It  was  finished 
in  1685. 

St.  Michael's,  in  Cornhill,  was  a  more  important  work.  The  tower 
appears  to  have  been  completed  from  Wren's  design  in  1722.  It  bears 
some  resemblance  to  that  of  Magdalen  College,  and  is  divided  into  four 
storeys,  of  which  the  second  and  third  are  lighted  by  semicircular  headed 
windows,  exhibiting  a  huge  hollow  jamb  in  their  external  reveal.  They 
are  divided  by  mullions  into  two  lights.  The  upper  windows  are  much 
longer  and  narrower  than  the  others,  and  are  separated  by  a  buttress 
which  stops  upon  a  string-course  below.  The  lights  are  labelled  with 
the  same  ugly  type  of  ogival  drip-stone,  which  may  be  recognised  in 
most  of  Wren's  Gothic  designs.  Octagonal  turrets,  round  which  the 
horizontal  string-courses  break,  and  which  are  decorated  with  corbel 
heads,  occur  at  each  angle  of  the  tower,  and  are  carried  up  to  some 
height  above  its  main  walls,  terminating  in  four  heavy-looking  ogival 
finials.  The  intermediate  buttress  is  also  carried  up,  and  finishes  with 
a  pinnacle  above  the  parapet,  which  is  battlemented  in  two  awkward- 
looking  courses,  evidently  parodied  from  the  Magdalen  tower.* 

It  was  almost  the  last  work  which  Wren  lived  to  see  carried  out. 
He  had  now  reached  a  great  age,  and  it  is  sad  to  think  that  his  last 
days  had  been  embittered  by  the  disgraceful  cabals  of  ungenerous 
rivalry.  The  commissioners  for  conducting  the  rebuilding  of  St.  Paul's 
intrigued  against  him.  Wren  petitioned  the  Oueen  that  he  might  be 
freed  from  their  interference.  Had  her  Majesty  lived,  it  is  probable 
that  he  might  have  defied  his  enemies  to  the  last.  But  Anne  died  in 
17 14,  and  when  the  Elector  succeeded  to  the  throne  he  was  surrounded 
by  his  countrymen,  with  whom  Benson,  an  architect  of  mean  pretensions 

*  The  modern  restorations  of  this  church  were  executed  from  the  designs  of  Mr.  G.  G. 
Scott,  R.A. 


Death  of  Wren.  41 


and  unscrupulous  effrontery,  managed  to  become  a  favourite.  The  old 
Commission  at  length  expired,  and  in  17 15  a  new  one  was  issued. 
The  king  was  prevailed  on  to  supersede  Wren's  patent  as  surveyor- 
general.  His  consent  must  have  mortified  Wren,  but  it  certainly  dis- 
graced himself.  In  his  eighty-sixth  year,  this  good  and  faithful  servant 
of  the  crown  was  dismissed  from  an  office  which  he  had  held  during  four 
reigns,  and  for  a  period  of  nearly  half  a  century.  Benson  was  installed 
in  his  place,  only  to  lose  it  on  the  first  occasion,  when  his  gross  inca- 
pacity became  manifest.  Wren  retired  to  his  residence  at  Hampton 
Court,  coming  up  to  town,  however,  from  time  to  time  for  the  purpose 
of  inspecting  the  repairs  of  Westminster  Abbey,  and  other  works  which 
were  being  still  carried  out  under  his  superintendence.  In  one  of  these 
excursions  he  caught  a  cold,  which  possibly  may  have  hastened  his  end. 
But  he  died  at  last  peacefully,  after  falling  asleep  in  his  arm-chair,  on 
the  25th  of  February,  1723. 


42  Horace  Walpole. 


CHAPTER    III. 

F  in  the  history  of  British  art  there  is  one  period  more  distin- 
guished than  another  for  its  neglect  of  Gothic,  it  was 
certainly  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.  In  a  pre- 
vious age  architects  had  not  been  wanting  who  endeavoured  to  per- 
petuate the  style  whenever  occasion  offered,  and  when  the  taste  of 
their  clients  raised  no  obstacle.  Wren  had  himself  condescended  to 
imitate  in  practice  those  principles  of  design  which  he  despised  in 
theory.  But  these  were  exceptional  cases,  and,  as  time  advanced,  and 
the  new  doctrine  spread  more  widely,  they  became  still  rarer.  Nor 
did  the  lovers  of  archaeology  much  help  the  waning  cause.  The  old 
antiquarians  were  dead,  or  had  ceased  from  their  labours.  Their  suc- 
cessors had  not  yet  begun  to  write.  An  interval  occurred  between  the 
works  of  Dugdale  and  Dodsworth,  of  Herbert  and  Wood,  on  the  one 
side,  and  those  of  Grose,  Bentham,  Hearn,  and  Gough,  on  the  other — 
between  the  men  who  recorded  the  history  of  Mediaeval  buildings  in 
England,  and  the  men  who  attempted  to  illustrate  them.  In  this 
interval  an  author  appeared  who  did  neither,  but  to  whose  writings 
and  to  whose  influence  as  an  admirer  of  Gothic  art  we  believe  may 
be  ascribed  one  of  the  chief  causes  which  induced  its  present  revival. 

Horace  Walpole,  third  son  of  the  Minister,  Sir  Robert  Walpole,  first 
Earl  of  Orford,  was  born  in  1718.  At  the  age  of  twenty  his  fortune 
was  secured  by  some  valuable  sinecures,  and  he  thus  found  himself  enabled 
at  an  early  period  of  his  life  to  indulge  in  those  tastes  and  pursuits 
which  to  him  seemed  of  much  more  importance  than  his  Parliamentary 
duties,  and  which  have  combined  to  render  his  name  so  famous. 

It  is  impossible  to  peruse  either  the  letters  or  the  romances  of  this 


//  \iIpo!cs  Taste  for  Gothic.  43 

remarkable  man  without  being  struck  by  the  unmistakable  evidence 
which  they  contain  of  his  Mediaeval  predilections.  His  c  Castle  of 
Otranto  '  was  perhaps  the  first  modern  work  of  fiction  which  depended 
for  its  interest  on  the  incidents  of  a  chivalrous  age,  and  it  thus  became 
the  prototype  of  that  class  of  novel  which  was  afterwards  imitated  by 
Mrs.  RatclirTe  and  perfected  by  Sir  Walter  Scott.  The  feudal  tyrant, 
the  venerable  ecclesiastic,  the  forlorn  but  virtuous  damsel,  the  castle 
itself,  with  its  moats  and  drawbridge,  its  gloomy  dungeons  and  solemn 
corridors,  are  all  derived  from  a  mine  of  interest  which  has  since  been 
worked  more  efficiently  and  to  better  profit.  But  to  Walpole  must  be 
awarded  the  credit  of  its  discovery  and  first  employment. 

The  position  which  he  occupies  with  regard  to  art  resembles  in  many 
respects  that  in  which  he  stands  as  a  man  of  letters.      His  kbours  were 
not  profound  in  either  field.      But  their  result  was  presented  to  the 
public  in  a  form  which  gained  him  rapid  popularity  both  as  an  author 
and   a  dilettante.     As   a  collector  of  curiosities  he  was    probably  in- 
fluenced  more  by  a  love  of  old  world  associations  than  by  any  sound 
appreciation  of  artistic  design.     In  this  spirit  he  haunted  the  auction 
rooms,  and  picked  up  a  vast  quantity  of  objects  that  were  destined  by- 
and-by  to  crowd  his  villa    at  Twickenham.      Nothing    to  which  the 
faintest  semblance  of  a   legend  attached  was  too  insignificant  for  his 
notice.     Oueen  Mary's  comb,  King  William's  spur,  the  pipe  which 
Van  Tromp  smoked  in  his  last  naval  engagement,  or  the  scarlet  hat  of 
Cardinal  Wolsey,  possessed  for  him  an    extraordinary  interest.      But 
among  these  relics  he  acquired  much  that  was  really  valuable  in  the 
way  of  old  china  and  stained  glass,  and  thus  formed  the  nucleus  of 
what  at  one  time  promised  to  become  an  important  Mediaeval  museum. 
The  acquisition  of  these  treasures  could  not  but  influence  his   taste, 
which  has  been  ably  defined  by  an  eminent  writer  of  our  own  day. 
1  He  had,'  says  Lord  Macaulay,    f  a  strange  ingenuity  peculiarly  his 
own,  an  ingenuity  which  appeared  in  all  that  he  did,  in  his  building,  in 
his  gardening,  in   his   upholstery,  in  the  matter  and  in  the  manner  of 


44  Strawberry  Hill. 


his  writings.  If  we  were  to  adopt  the  classification — not  a  very  accu- 
rate classification — which  Akenside  has  given  of  the  pleasures  of  the 
imagination,  we  should  say  that  with  the  Sublime  and  the  Beautiful 
Walpole  had  nothing  to  do,  but  that  the  third  province,  the  Odd,  was 
his  peculiar  domain.'  It  was  probably  this  eccentricity  of  taste,  com- 
bined with  his  fondness  of  Mediaeval  lore,  which  induced  him  to  imitate, 
in  the  design  of  his  own  dwelling,  a  style  of  architecture  which  by  this 
time  had  fallen  into  almost  universal  contempt. 

On  the  grounds  now  known  as  Strawberry  Hill,  there  existed, 
towards  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  a  small  cottage,  built  by  a 
person  who  had  been  coachman  to  the  Earl  of  Bradford.  It  was  ori- 
ginally intended  for  a  lodging  house,  but  the  Fates  had  decreed  for  it  a 
more  honourable  use.  Even  before  the  occupancy  of  the  owner  with 
whose  name  it  will  be  for  ever  associated,  it  had  become  the  residence 
of  some  notable  people.  The  famous  Colley  Cibber  once  lived  there. 
Dr.  Talbot,  then  Bishop  of  Durham,  and  the  Marquis  of  Caernarvon 
(afterwards  Duke  of  Chandos),  had  been  its  tenants.  It  was  afterwards 
hired  by  Mrs.  Chenevix,  a  dealer  in  toys,  at  that  time  well  known  in 
London.  It  does  not  appear  that  there  was  anything  of  a  Gothic 
character  in  the  original  structure,  but  it  struck  Walpole's  fancy.  He 
first  purchased  the  lease  of  Mrs.  Chenevix,  and  the  following  year 
bought  the  fee  simple  of  the  estate.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  (afterwards 
Marshal)  Conway,  dated  June  8th,  1747,  Walpole  announced  that  he 
had  taken  possession.  c  You  perceive  by  my  date,'  he  writes,  i  that  I 
am  o-ot  into  a  new  camp,  and  have  left  my  tub  at  Windsor.  It  is  a 
little  plaything  house  that  I  got  out  of  Mrs.  Chenevix's  shop,  and  is 
the  prettiest  bauble  you  ever  saw.' 

This  small  and  whimsical  abode  Walpole  enlarged  at  various  times 
between  the  years  1753  and  1776.  He  did  not  take  down  the  old 
work,  but  altered  it  to  suit  his  taste,  and  added  to  it  bit  by  bit,  so  that 
the  whole  at  length  became  a  straggling  but  not  unpicturesque  mass  of 
buildings.    c  It  was,'  says  an  old  writer,  c  the  amusement  of  his  leisure; 


Strawberry  Hill.  45 


and,  circumscribed  in  its  dimensions  as  it  is  now  seen,  it  enabled  him  to 
perform  with  sufficient  success  his  original  intention,  which  was  that  of 
adapting  the  more  beautiful  portions  of  English  or  Gothic  castellated 
and  ecclesiastical  architecture  to  the  purposes  of  a  modern  villa.  A 
wide  and  somewhat  novel  field  was  here  opened  for  the  exercise  of  taste. 
The  task  was  precisely  suited  to  the  talent  of  the  designer ;  and  this 
choice  specimen  of  the  picturesque  effect  which  may  be  produced  by  a 
combination  of  the  graces  of  ancient  English  style,  even  when  those 
beauties  are  unaided  by  the  ivyed  mellowness  of  time,  has  greatly 
assisted  in  introducing  a  passion  for  the  Gothic' 

Just  as  the  little  cottage  of  Mrs.  Chenevix  grew  into  a  villa  under 
Walpole's  care3  so  the  villa  which  Walpole  designed  has  since  deve- 
loped into  a  mansion.  Within  the  last  few  years  a  new  wing  has  been 
added  by  its  present  owner,  the  Countess  Waldegrave,  and  the  old  work 
has  been  so  completely  renovated  that  it  is  not  at  first  easy  to  trace  the 
original  form  of  old  Strawberry  Hill  amid  the  various  embellishments 
which  surround  it.  The  principal  entrance  was  formerly  by  the  road- 
side— an  arrangement  which  may  have  answered  very  well  in  Walpole's 
time,  but  in  these  days  of  busy  traffic  would  hardly  have  ensured 
sufficient  privacy  to  the  inmates.  A  piece  of  ground,  therefore,  which 
now  forms  a  portion  of  the  garden,  was  reclaimed  from  the  highway, 
and  a  new  road  formed  round  it  in  exchange.  The  old  entrance  was 
by  a  low  pointed  arch  from  which  a  narrow  corridor  led  on  the  left 
hand  to  an  inner  door.  This  passage  is  decorated  with  mural  arcuation, 
consisting  of  slender  attached  shafts,  and  tracery  in  low  relief,  the  bays 
being  separated  by  canopied  niches,  enriched  internally  with  carved 
work  in  imitation  of  groining.  The  crockets  employed  in  this  work 
are  of  that  feeble  type  which  characterised  the  latest  and  most  debased 
Jacobean  Gothic,  and  the  little  corbels  are  executed  in  the  acorn 
pattern  which  Wren  so  extensively  used. 

The  main  walls  are  of  brick  or  rubble  masonry,  rough  cast  with 
plaster.    Many  of  the  doors  and  windows  on  the  north  side  are  spanned 


46  Strawberry  Hill. 


by  a  pointed  arch.   On  the  first  floor  are  several  oriel  and  bay  windows, 
constructed  of  wood,  of  which  the  upper  portions  are  filled  with  stained 
glass.     They  are  surmounted  by  a  light  cornice  crested  with  wooden 
tracery.      The  west  wing,  in  which  Walpole  set  up  his  printing-press, 
is   a  battlemented   building   two  storeys   in   height.      It   is  lighted   by 
square  windows,  divided  by  what  seem  to  be  modern  casement  frames 
into  two  and  three  compartments,  and  labelled  above  with  an   imitation 
of  a  Tudor  drip-stone.   The  portion  of  the  building  nearest  the  Thames 
is  evidently  the  oldest  part,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  actual  cottage 
purchased  of  Mrs.  Chenevix.      It  presents  two  fronts,  one   facing  the 
west  and  the  other  the  south.      A  semi-octagonal  porch  projects  from 
each  side.   The  pointed  windows  of  this  wing  are  remarkable  as  bearing 
more  resemblance  to  Venetian   Gothic  than  to  anv   English  example. 
Their  arches  are  cusped  once  on  either  side  and  terminate  in  that  abrupt 
ogival  curve,  of  which  so  many  examples  may  be  seen  from  the  Grand 
Canal.      The  likeness  is  the  more  striking  because  the  plaster  is  carried 
up  to  the  edge  of  the  intrados,  and  thus  leaves  the  arch  with  no  appa- 
rent voussoir.     There  are  two  storeys  of  these  windows,  the  upper  floor 
being  lighted  by  simple  quatrefoil  openings  about  three  feet  across.     A 
battlemented  parapet  crowns  the  whole.     The  latter  feature  is  probably 
executed  in  lath  and  plaster.      It  is  certain  that  the  coping  of   both 
merlons  and  embrasures  is  of  wood,  and  that  wooden  pinnacles  occur  at 
the  angles  and  at  regular  intervals  along  the  front.     The  porches  on  the 
south  and  east  sides  (also  battlemented)  are  carried  up  two  storeys  in 
height.     Over  the  east  porch  a  stepped  gable  rises,  lighted  by  an  oriel 
window  and  ornamented  at  its  upper  end  by  a  wooden  cross  let  in  flush 
with  the  plaster.     At  the  apex  of  the  roof  is  another  (Maltese)  cross  by 
way  of  finial.     The  east  corner  of  the  south  front  is  occupied  by  an 
apartment  now  used  as  a  study,  but  which  was  formerly  the  dining-room, 
or,  as  Walpole  would  .have  it,  the  '■refectory.'     It  is  lighted  by  a  bay 
v.- in  do  w  rectangular  in  plan  and  surmounted  by  a  wooden  cresting.      In 
the  storey  immediately  above  this  is  the  library  window,  divided  into  three 


Strawberry  Hill.  4-7 


Jights  by  slender  wooden  columns.  The  arch  over  this  window  differs 
from  the  rest  in  having  a  flat  double  cusp  on  either  side,  but  terminates 
like  the  others  in  an  ogival  curve.  It  is  filled  with  rich  stained  glass. 
On  either  side  above  it,  and  lighting  the  same  chamber,  are  two  quatrefoil 
openings  similar  to  those  we  have  described.  A  chimney  shaft  projects 
on  the  east  side  and  is  carried  up  straight  to  about  three- fourths  of  its 
height,  where  it  is  splayed  back  in  the  usual  manner.  The  window 
heads  of  the  south  porch  are  flatter  than  the  rest,  but  preserve  the  same 
general  outline. 

The  picture  gallery  runs  from  east  to  west,  connecting  the  original 
tenement  with  the  round  central  tower  and  attached  staircase-turret, 
which  Walpole  built,  and  which  have  been  lately  carried  up  an  addi- 
tional storey  in  height.  The  west  front  of  the  gallery  (standing  about 
thirty  feet  from  the  ground)  is  divided  into  bays  by  buttresses,  and 
contains  two  storeys,  whereof  the  lower  is  occupied  by  servants'  offices. 
The  windows  of  each  floor  are  spanned  by  four-centred  Tudor  arches. 
The  voussoirs  and  quoins  appear  to  be  of  stone — at  all  events  in  some 
portions  of  the  work  ;  but  the  whole  has  been  so  plastered  over  in 
successive  renovations  that  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the  solid  masonry 
from  rubble-work.  The  upper  windows  are  labelled  with  late  drip-stone 
mouldings.  The  round  central  tower,  which  forms  an  important 
feature  in  the  group,  has  a  battlemented  parapet  running  round  the 
wall  over  a  corbelled  string-course. 

The  interior,  or  rather  that  portion  of  it  which  Walpole  designed, 
is  just  what  one  might  expect  from  a  man  who  possessed  a  vague 
admiration  for  Gothic  without  the  knowledge  necessary  for  a  proper 
adaptation  of  its  features.  Ceilings,  screens,  niches,  &c,  are  all  copied, 
or  rather  parodied,  from  existing  examples,  but  with  utter  disregard  for 
the  original  purpose  of  the  design.  To  Lord  Orford,  Gothic  was 
Gothic,  and  that  sufficed.  He  would  have  turned  an  altar-slab  into  a 
hall  table,  or  made  a  cupboard  of  a  piscina,  with  the  greatest  com- 
placency if  it  only  served  his  purpose.     Thus  we  find  that  in  the  north 


48  Strawberry  Hill. 


bed-chamber,  when  he  wanted  a  model  for  his  chimney-piece,  he  thought 
he  could  not  do  better  than  adopt  the  form  of  Bishop  Dudley's  tomb 
in  Westminster  Abbey.  He  found  a  pattern  for  the  piers  of  his  garden- 
gate  in  the  choir  of  Ely  Cathedral.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  his  lordship's 
enthusiasm  not  only  led  him  to  copy  such  portions  of  ancient  work,  but 
sometimes  to  appropriate  fragments  of  an  original  structure.  Unfor- 
tunately his  example  has  been  imitated  by  collectors  even  in  our  own 
time. 

The  picture  gallery  was  supposed  to  be  Walpole's  chef-it  ceuvre.  It 
is  fifty-six  feet  long,  seventeen  feet  high,  and  thirteen  feet  wide.  The 
design  of  the  ceiling  was  borrowed  from  an  aisle  in  Henry  the  Seventh's 
chapel,  and  is  rich  in  pendants  and  panelled  work.  The  principal 
entrance  to  this  apartment  is  copied  from  the  north  door  of  St.  Alban's, 
and  the  two  smaller  doors  are  parts  of  the  same  design.  The  most 
richly  decorated  side  of  the  room  is  to  some  extent  in  imitation  of 
Archbishop  Bouchier's  tomb  at  Canterbury.  It  has  five  canopied 
recesses,  and  is  elaborately  enriched  throughout.* 

There  is  a  small  building  in  the  garden  still  called  the  c  chapel,' 
though  whether  that  name  should  be  retained  for  a  room  which 
a  congregation  of  six  people  would  inconveniently  crowd  may  be 
doubted.  Its  greatest  length,  including  the  porch,  is  not  more  than 
fifteen  feet.  Internally  it  is  about  eight  feet  wide.  The  inner  portion 
is  on  a  sort  of  quatrefoil  plan,  of  which   three  sides   are   roofed  with 

*  The  completion  of  Walpole's  villa  caused  a  great  deal  of  sensation  at  the  time,  and  its 
merits  were  freely  discussed  by  the  press.  Some  doggerel  rhymes  concerning  it  appeared 
in  a  paper  called  the  'Craftsman.'     The  first  stanza  is  as  follows: — 

'  Some  cry  up  Gunncrsbury, 

For  Sion  some  declare  : 
And  some  say  that  with  Chiswick  House 

No  villa  can  compare  : 
But  ask  the  beaux  of  Middlesex 

Who  know  the  country  well, 
If  Strawb'ry  Hill— if  Strawb'ry  Hill 

Don't  bear  away  the  bell  r  ' 


JValpolcs  Gothic.  49 


plaster  groining,  and  the  fourth  is  left  open  to  the  porch.  Ribs  spring 
from  each  angle  towards  a  quadrilateral  space  above,  from  which  a  pen- 
dant hangs.  Each  side  forms  a  recess,  of  three  faces,  separated  by  a 
slender  attached  column. 

The  front  of  the  porch  is  executed  in  Portland  stone,  and  is  really  a 
very  creditable  performance  if  we  consider  the  time  at  which  it  was 
erected.  The  upper  portion  is  principally  occupied  by  a  three-light 
window  spanned  by  a  flat  four- centred  arch.  The  sill  of  this  window 
is  formed  by  a  heavy  stone  transom,  which  separates  it  from  a  doorway 
and  little  window  below.  Three  small  niches  occur  on  either  side, 
moulded  and  canopied  with  some  delicacy  of  workmanship.  The  ex- 
treme corners  of  the  front  are  decorated  with  octagonal  shafts  panelled 
in  their  upper  portions. 

The  whole  of  the  carving,  and,  indeed,  the  general  design  of  the 
chapel,  has  been  executed  with  great  care  and  more  attention  to  detail 
than  one  might  expect  from  such  a  period.  Walpole's  Gothic,  in 
short,  though  far  from  reflecting  the  beauties  of  a  former  age,  or  anti- 
cipating those  which  were  destined  to  proceed  from  a  redevelopment 
of  the  style,  still  holds  a  position  in  the  history  of  English  art  which 
commands  our  respect,  for  it  served  to  sustain  a  cause  which  had  other- 
wise been  well-nigh  forsaken. 

In  tracing  the  history  of  any  particular  branch  of  art  or  science  it  is 
often  needful,  if  only  for  the  sake  of  continuity,  to  take  cognisance  of 
facts  which  in  themselves  seem  unimportant,  and  of  personages  whose 
names,  but  for  the  object  of  research,  might  remain  in  the  oblivion  to 
which  they  have  long  been  consigned.  It  is  trusted  that  this  will  be 
deemed  a  sufficient  excuse  for  a  reference  to  the  works  of  an  architect 
whose  connection  with  the  subject  before  us  is  interesting  only  because 

it  is  curious. 

The  age  in  which  Batty  Langley  lived  was  an  age  in  which  it  was 
customary  to  refer  all  matters  of  taste  to  rule  and  method.  There 
was  one  standard   of  excellence   in   poetry— a   standard   that   had  its 

E 


5<d  Pedantry  of  the  Renaissance. 

origin  in  the  smooth  distichs  of  heroic  verse  which  Pope  was  the  first 
to  perfect,  and  which  hundreds  of  later  rhymers  who  lacked  his  nobler 
powers  soon  learned  to  imitate.  In  pictorial  art,  it  was  the  grand  school 
which  exercised  despotic  sway  over  the  efforts  of  genius,  and  limited 
the  painter's  inventions  to  the  field  of  Pagan  mythology.  In  architec- 
ture, Vitruvius  was  the  great  authority.  The  graceful  majesty  of  the 
Parthenon — the  noble  proportions  of  the  Temple  of  Theseus — the 
chaste  enrichment  which  adorns  the  Choragic  monument  of  Lysicrates, 
were  ascribed  less  to  the  fertile  imagination  and  refined  perceptions  of 
the  ancient  Greek,  than  to  the  dry  and  formal  precepts  which  were 
invented  centuries  after  their  erection.  Little  was  said  of  the  magnifi- 
cent sculpture  which  filled  the  metopes  of  the  Temple  of  Minerva; 
but  the  exact  height  and  breadth  of  the  triglyphs  between  them  were 
considered  of  the  greatest  importance.  The  exquisite  drapery  of 
Caryatids  and  Canephorce  no  English  artist  a  hundred  years  ago  thought 
fit  to  imitate ;  but  the  cornices  which  they  supported  were  measured 
inch  by  inch  with  the  utmost  nicety. 

Ingenious  devices  were  invented  for  enabling  the  artificer  to  repro- 
duce, by  a  series  of  complicated  curves,  the  profile  of  a  Doric  capital, 
which  probably  owed  its  form  to  the  steady  hand  and  uncontrolled 
taste  of  the  designer.  To  put  faith  in  many  of  the  theories  pro- 
pounded by  architectural  authorities  in  the  last  century  would  be 
to  believe  that  some  of  the  grandest  monuments  which  the  world  has 
ever  seen  raised  owe  their  chief  beauty  to  an  accurate  knowledge  of 
arithmetic.  The  diameter  of  the  column  was  divided  into  modules  ; 
the  modules  wer£  divided  into  minutes ;  the  minutes  into  fractions  of 
themselves.  A  certain  height  was  allotted  to  the  shaft,  another  to  the 
entablature.  These  proportions  might  vary  certainly,  but  such 
variation  entirely  depended  upon  whether  the  (  order  '  was  mutular  or 
denticular  (in  other  words,  whether  the  cornice  was  ornamented  with  a 
few  large  projecting  blocks  or  a  great  number  of  little  ones),  and 
whether  the  capital  was    simply  moulded,  or  carved  into  the  form  of 


Batty  Langley.  51 


acanthus  leaves.  Sometimes  the  learned  discussed  how  far  apart  the 
columns  of  a  portico  might  be.  To  the  ordinary  mind  this  would  soon 
resolve  itself  into  a  question  of  light  and  facility  of  access.  But  in  the 
days  to  which  we  allude  they  called  things  by  grand  names,  and  the 
eustyle  and  diastyle  each  had  their  supporters. 

Batty  Langley,  who  had  no  doubt  well  read  his  Vitruvius  and  knew 
to  a  decimal  point  the  orthodox  height  and  projection  of  every  feature 
in  the  five  orders,  possessed,  with  all  his  classical  predilections,  an 
undercurrent  of  admiration  for  Mediaeval  art.  It  was  an  admiration, 
however,  not  untempered  by  disdain,  and,  perhaps,  when  he  gazed  on 
the  mysterious  grandeur  of  our  English  cathedrals,  he  felt  what  he 
conceived  to  be  a  generous  pity  that  such  large  and  important  works 
should  have  been  undertaken  in  ages  which  appeared  to  him  so  dark 
and  barbarous  in  their  notions  of  design.  The  style  had  some  merit 
certainly.  It  was  pretty  and  fanciful.  It  would  do  very  well  for  a 
porch  in  the  country  or  for  a  summer-house  ;  but  if  it  was  ever  con- 
templated to  employ  it  again  in  buildings  of  any  importance,  some- 
thing must  be  done  to  modify  the  style— that  was  certain.  The 
question  remained  how  this  could  be  managed.  Here  was  a  crude  and 
unmethodical  order  of  architecture  which  resembled  neither  Doric  nor 
Corinthian,  whose  columns  were  sometimes  two  diameters  high  and 
sometimes  twenty,  and  might  be,  as  far  as  rules  were  concerned,  two 
hundred.  All  sorts  of  foliage  were  used  in  the  capitals.  The  cornice 
profiles  were  eternally  varying,  and,  worse  than  all,  those  ignorant 
Goths  had  directly  violated  the  most  obvious  principles  of  eurythmia. 
Could  nothing  be  done  to  improve  the  style  and  rescue  it  from  utter 
degradation  ?     Mr.  Batty  Langley  thought  that  he  would  try. 

It  was  perhaps  a  somewhat  ambitious  venture  ;  but,  atter  all,  what 
advantages  had  Boyden  and  de  Bek,  Thomas  of  Canterbury,  and 
William  of  Wykeham,  compared  with  the  erudition  of  the  eighteenth 
century  ?  Our  reformer  was,  as  we  have  said,  well  versed  in  those 
mysterious  relations  of  shaft  and  capital,  column  and  entablature,  which 


E  2 


52  Gothic  Architecture  'Improved' 


characterised  the  designs  of  Palladio.  It  occurred  to  him  that  some 
such  system  might  be  applied  with  advantage  to  Gothic  architecture. 
He  actually  imagined  that  by  assimilating  the  proportions  of  Mediaeval 
features  to  those  of  the  Classic  school  or  by  grafting  Gothic  mouldings 
on  an  Italian  facade,  he  should  be  able  to  produce  a  style  which  would 
rival,  if  not  surpass,  any  building  which  had  been  raised  during  the 
Middle  Ages  ;  that  because  the  folly  of  the  late  Renaissance  designers 
had  attached  a  false  importance  to  modules  and  minutes,  a  like  system 
of  measurement  would  ennoble  and  purify  an  art  which  included  among 
its  examples  tha  choir  of  Ely  Cathedral  and  the  chapter-house  of 
York  Minster. 

Accordingly,  in  the  year  of  grace  1742,  a  work  appeared  in  the  form 
of  a  neat  folio  volume  with  this  astounding  title  : — 

*  Gothic  Architecture,  improved  by  Rules  and  Proportions  in  many 
Grand  Designs  of  Columns,  Doors,  Windows,  Chimney-peices,  Arcades, 
Colonades,  Porticos,  Umbrellos  (!),  Temples  and  Pavillions,  &c,  with 
Plans,  Elevations,  and  Profiles  ;  geometrically  explained  by  B.  and  T. 
Langley.' 

These  gentlemen,  whose  book  appears  to  have  been  subsequently 
accompanied  by  text  which  few  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  peruse,* 
begin  by  announcing  the  discovery  of  five  new  orders  of  columns,  plain 
and  enriched ;  and  then  proceed  to  show  their  application  to  the 
various  features  of  a  dwelling  c  in  the  Gothick  manner.'  The  entire 
height  of  the  first  order  they  divide  into  eleven  parts,  whereof  one  is 
given  to  the  subplinth,  half  to  the  base  of  the  column,  seven  to  the 
shaft,  another  half  to  the  capital,  and  the  remaining  two  to  the  entabla- 
ture, which,  by  the  way,  is  in  its  turn  subdivided  into  architrave,  frieze, 
and  cornice,  after  the  Roman  fashion.  The  upper  members  of  the 
cornice  are  the  ordinary  cyma,  fillets,  and  corona  of  Italian  design,  but, 
in  place  of  the  bed-mouldings,  a  huge  cavetto  succeeds,  enriched  with 

*  The  British  M  eum  copy  contains  illustrations  only  ;  the  letter-press  probably  appeared 
in  a  lat:r  edition. 


The  Five  Orders  Gothicised.   '  53 


a  sort  of  trefoil  panelling  and  separated  from  the  frieze  below  by  a 
bird's  beak  and  reversed  cyma  moulding.  The  rest  of  the  features  are 
parodied  in  a  most  preposterous  manner  from  the  Classic  school.  The 
metopes  become  quatrefoil  panels ;  the  triglyphs  are  grooves  with 
cusped  and  pointed  heads.  The  plan  of  the  shaft  itself  is  quatrefoil, 
and  a  careful  diagram  shows  how  it  may  be  fluted  with  advantage. 
The  base-mouldings  are  of  that  type  which  may  be  occasionally  seen  at 
the  foot  of  an  iron  column  in  a  monster  railway-station.  A  pao-e  or  so 
farther  on  we  have  the  same  order  with  more  elaborate  enrichments  : 
the  corona  bears  lozenge-shaped  dies,  raised  upon  a  sunk  ground;  the 
cyma,  torus,  and  minor  mouldings  are  decorated  after  a  manner  peculiar  to 
Mr.  Langley,  and  which,  if  not  very  graceful  in  itself,  has  at  least  the 
merit  of  originality.  Acanthus  leaves  crop  up  in  the  cavetto,  the  tri- 
glyphs are  hung  with  strings  of  beads,  and  the  whole  presents  an  appear- 
ance of  incongruity  which  it  would  be  hardly  possible  to  match  else- 
where. The  most  extraordinary  feature  of  these  designs  is  the  great 
trouble  the  author  has  given  himself  to  work  out  every  detail  employed. 
The  elevations  are  projected  from  plans  with  the  nicest  accuracy; 
each  feature  is  set  out  with  unerring  care,  and  the  engravings  themselves 
are  remarkably  good  and  carefully  executed. 

Of  the  other  so-called  c  orders  '  in  this  curious  book  it  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  say  that  each  surpasses  the  last  in  absurdity.  Now  and  then 
one  finds  a  crude  attempt  to  embody  the  characteristics  of  Pointed  Art 
in  the  way  of  decoration,  but,  as  a  rule,  the  ornament  introduced  is  at 
once  feeble  and  vulgar,  and  reflects  about  as  much  of  the  spirit  of  classic 
or  Gothic  design  as  may  be  recognised  in  the  proportions  of  a  modern 
bed-post. 

Batty  Langley's  ideas  of  pointed  doors  and  windows  were  not  a  whit 
better.  It  is  singular  that  they  should  be  conspicuous  for  that  fault 
which  Mr.  Ruskin  deftly  pointed  out  as  one  of  the  chiefest  signs  of 
debased  Gothic.  The  impost  of  the  arch  is  almost  always  omitted, 
and  where  it  does  occur  it  is  rarely  moulded,  and  never  enriched   with 


54  Batty  Langley  s  Designs. 


carving.  Langley  has,  moreover,  with  that  fatuity  which  marked  all 
the  Mediaeval  revivalists,  insisted  on  inventing  a  new  species  of  crocket, 
which  has  precisely  missed  the  spirit,  and  reversed  the  principle,  of  that 
useful  feature  in  genuine  work.  It  does  not  seem  to  bud  from,  but 
rather  to  creep  up,  the  hood-moulding  or  pinnacle  to  which  it  is  attached. 
Sometimes  a  battlemented  cornice  is  introduced  over  a  porch.  But 
merlons  and  embrasures  are  all  numbered,  and  the  height  and  width  of 
each  bear  a  certain  proportion  to  some  unit  which  forms  the  basis  of  the 
whole  design. 

As  for  the  f  porticos  '   and  c  umbrellos,'  the  arcades  and  colonnades, 
which  are   included   in   the  work,  they   are   simply  Italian   in  general 
outline,  with  a  bastard  detail,  which  one  can  only  call  Gothic  because  it 
can  be  called  nothing  else.     Any  carpenter's  foreman  could  now  use  his 
pencil  to  better  purpose.'    The  chimney-pieces  have  as  much  affinity  with 
the  art  of  the  Middle  Ages  as  the  monuments  which  may  be  bought  of 
a  New  Road  statuary.     The  c  temples '  are  Mediaeval  in  the  same  sense 
as    similar    structures    at   Cremorne    or    Rosherville.     Posterity    may 
wonder  whether  any  of  these  remarkable  works  were   ever  executed — 
whether  men  in  whose  hearts  was  still  cherished  a  lingering  love  of  Old 
English  architecture  put   any  faith  in  this  eccentric,  vain  enthusiast — 
what  his  contemporaries  thought   of  him — whether  he  shared  the  con- 
tempt which  fell  upon  Ripley,  or  forgave  Lord  Pembroke   for   recom- 
mending his  rival  Labelye's  designs   for  Westminster   Bridge  in  pre- 
ference to  his  own.     Certain  it   is   that   Batty  Langley 's   commissions 
were  not   numerous,  nor  do   those  which  he   undertook   reflect  much 
credit  on  their  author.     His  name  is  chiefly  remembered  in  association 
with  the   singular  but  now  worthless  volume  on   whose  title-page  it  is 
inscribed.     Gothic  architecture  has  had  it  vicissitudes  in   this   country. 
There  was  a  time  when  its  principles  were  universally  recognised ;  there 
was  a  time  when  they  were  neglected  or  forgotten.     But  in  the  days  of 
its  lowest  degradation,  it  may  be  questioned  whether  it  would  not  have 
been  better  that  the  cause  should  have  remained  unespoused  than  have 
been  sustained  by  such  a  champion  as  Batty  Langley. 


77 te  '  Georgian  '  Era.  55 


CHAPTER   IV. 

pLTHOUGH  the  eighteenth  century  was,  on  the  whole,  more 
distinguished  for  its  neglect  of  Mediaeval  architecture  than 
the  age  which  preceded  or  the  age  which  followed  that 
period,  still  many  examples  of  the  style  exist,  which  were  certainly 
erected  during  the  reigns  of  the  first  Georges.  Among  these  is  the 
gateway  on  the  east  side  of  the  second  quadrangle  at  Hampton  Court. 
A  reference  to  early  plans  of  the  palace  will  show  that  a  considerable 
portion  of  that  facade  was  remodelled  later  than  the  reign  of  Queen 
Anne ;  and,  indeed,  a  stone  tablet  inserted  in  the  wall  immediately 
above  the  apex  of  the  arch  contains  the  initials  Gn.  R.,  and  the 
date  1732.  This  work  derives  especial  interest  from  two  remarkable 
facts.  In  the  first  place,  it  was  executed  after  Wren's  classic  additions 
to  Hampton  Court,  and  midway  between  the  stately  quadrangle  and 
the  Ionic  colonnade  which  contributed  no  little  to  his  fame,  and  which, 
in  his  own  day,  no  doubt  commanded  universal  admiration.  That  an 
architect  within  a  few  years  after  Sir  Christopher's  death,  and  while  the 
taste  for  Italian  art  which  he  had  so  ably  encouraged  was  at  its  height, 
should  have  ventured  on  a  design  whose  principles  were  diametrically 
opposed  to  those  held  and  taught  by  so  great  a  master,  is  notable  in 
itself.  But  this  is  not  all.  The  building  thus  altered  had  been 
originally  Gothic,  it  is  true,  but  Gothic  of  a  very  different  kind  from 
that  which  was  subsequently  engrafted  on  it.  Every  one  familiar  with 
that  example  of  the  Tudor  style  will  remember  the  low  four-centred 
arches  which  span  the  older  gateways  of  Hampton  Court.  If  any  form 
of  Mediaeval  architecture  found  favour  in  the  last  century,  it  was 
certainly  that  which  had  prevailed  during   the  reign   of  Henry  VII. 


56  Additions  to  Hampton  Court. 


The  most  obvious  course  for  an  architect  to  pursue  under  the  circum- 
stances would  have  been  to  adopt,  in  any  alterations  of  the  palace,  the 
style  in  which  it  had  been  originally  conceived.  That,  however,  was 
not  done  in  the  instance  mentioned.  The  entrance  archway  is  not 
a  four-centred,  but  an  Early  Pointed  arch.  The  windows  above  it 
belong  more  to  the  Transition,  or  to  the  Decorated,  than  to  the  Per- 
pendicular period,  while  the  whole  design  bears  the  impress  of  an 
originality  in  design  which  is  unusual  in  work  of  this  date,  and  seems 
to  indicate  that  it  was  undertaken  by  some  one  who  possessed  some- 
thing more  than  the  mere  skill  of  a  copyist. 

The  gateway  is  enclosed  by  two  semi-octagonal  turrets  (decorated 
with  string-courses  and  medallion  heads)  which  rise  above  the  battle- 
mented  parapet,  and   are  surmounted  by  stone  cupolas,  octagonal  in 
plan  and  ogival  in  profile,  terminating  in  finials  of  the  same  character. 
The  wall  space  between  these  turrets  is  divided  into  three  storeys,  in 
the  uppermost  of  which  is  a  window  partitioned  by  mullions  into  four 
lights,  whereof  the  two  central  ones  rise  higher  than  the  others,  and  are 
included  in  an  ogival  arch  round  which  a  drip-stone  is  carried.     The 
lower  window  also  consists  of  four  lights  with  cinquefoil  heads,  under 
a  four-centred  arch,  the  spandrils  between  being  filled  in  with  tracery. 
This  window  has  no  label  of  the  ordinary  kind,  but  is  surmounted  by 
a  stone  canopy  of  a  peculiar  design,  and  slender  shafts,  with  caps  and 
bases,  are  used  in  place  of  the  principal  mullions.     Each  window  has 
a  moulded  sill,  which  projects  from  the  face  of  the  wall. 

The  mouldings  of  the  archway  below  are  particularly  good  of  their 
kind,  and  the  attached  columns  which  decorate  the  jamb  on  either  side 
are  well-proportioned.  Their  capitals  are,  however,  without  foliage, 
nor  is  there  any  carving  in  the  usual  sense  of  the  word,  throughout  the 
whole  design. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  cite  any  instance  of  Pointed  architecture  of 
this  date  in  which  groining,  where  introduced,  is  not  altogether  a  sham, 
or  set  out   on    a   wrong   principle.      In   this  case  the  vault   under  the 


Eighteenth  Century  Gothic.  57 

passage  is  executed  in  plaster,  and  on  such  a  plan  as  to  make  it  at  once 
apparent  that  no  constructive  element  is  involved  in  the  design.  From 
each  corner  of  the  vault  springs  a  quadrant  of  fan  tracery.  The  rest  is 
simply  a  flat  roof,  panelled  after  a  manner  which  might  represent  the 
plan  of  a  groined  vault,  but  which  itself  is,  in  reality,  nothing  more 
than  a  ceiling. 

In  addition  to  this  example,  which  may  be  classed  under  the  head  of 
public  works,  a  great  many  mansions  for  the  nobility  and  landed  gentry 
of  this  country  were  either  restored  or  rebuilt  some  years  later,  in  a 
style  which  humbly  imitated,  if  it  could  not  rival,  the  art  of  former  days. 
Among  these  may  be  mentioned  Belhus,  the  seat  of  Lord  Dacre,  in 
Essex,  which  was  remodelled  towards  the  latter  half  of  the  last  century. 
Lord  Dacre  was  an  accomplished  amateur  in  architecture,  and  a  learned 
antiquarian.  His  researches  had  been  of  a  kind  which  well  qualified 
him  for  the  task,  and  his  appreciation  of  Mediaeval  art  was,  for  the 
age  in  which  he  lived,  very  considerable. 

Adlestrop  Park,  in  Gloucester,  the  property  of  Lord  Leigh,  was  the 
field  of  another  Gothic  restoration.  The  old  house  dated  from  a  good 
period,  and  care  was  taken  in  the  alterations  to  preserve  its  original 
character.  Llanerchydol,  in  Montgomeryshire,  a  stone  mansion  in  the 
c  castellated'  style  (as  it  was  then  called),  appears  to  have  been  built  in 
1776,  and  is  by  no  means  a  bad  example  of  the  school. 

Beeston  Hall,  Norfolk,  which  was  built  in  1786  for  Mr.  Jacob 
Preston,  is  another  specimen  of  the  Revival.  It  presents,  or  rather 
presented  at  the  time  of  its  erection,  a  simple  elevation,  two  storeys  in 
height.  At  each  angle  of  the  facade  are  slender  octagonal  turrets, 
terminating  in  pinnacles,  ornamented  in  the  usual  way  with  crockets 
and  finials.  The  three  divisions  into  which  the  front  is  divided  are 
surmounted  by  battlements,  with  blank  shields  introduced  on  the 
merlons,  above  which  rises  a  somewhat  high-pitched  roof  with  clustered 
chimneys.  Canopied  niches  occur  on  either  side  of  a  large  central 
window  in  the  upper  storey. 


58  Costessy  Hall:  Norfolk. 


Costessy,  or  Cossey  Hall,  the  seat  of  Lord  Stafford,  in  the  same 
county,  may  be  said  to  have  presented  in  its  earlier  state  and  sub- 
sequent improvement,  two  distinct  and  interesting  links  in  the  history 
before  us.  The  original  building  was  erected  in  1564,  and  the  purity 
of  its  general  conception  is  a  pleasing  evidence  of  the  respect  which  still 
obtained  for  the  old  style.  But  the  chapel,  which  was  designed  by 
Mr.  Edward  Jerningham,*  in  the  last  century,  is  equally  remarkable 
as  one  of  the  best  and  earliest  designs  in  modern  Gothic.  The 
Mediaeval  spirit  almost  seems  to  have  been  an  heirloom  with  the 
owners,  or  at  least  to  have  been  part  and  parcel  of  the  estate.  The 
last  rays  of  a  declining  art  illumined  the  founders,  and  the  earliest 
dawn  of  the  Revival  enlightened  the  restorers  of  Cossey  Hall. 

In  Scotland  the  old  baronial  type  of  residence  was  long  preserved,  and 
it  would  not  be  difficult  to  cite  instances  of  its  adoption  in  successive 
ages  from  feudal  days  down  to  our  own  time.  For  present  purposes, 
however,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  mention  one  which  belongs  to  the  period 
now  reached  by  our  history.  Inverary  Castle,  near  Loch  Fyne,  was 
begun  by  Archibald,  Duke  of  Argyle,  in  1745,  and  completed  a  few 
years  afterwards.  It  is  a  large  square  building,  flanked  at  each  angle 
bv  a  round  tower,  the  centre  block  rising  to  a  height  sufficient  to  give 
light  from  above  to  a  large  hall.  Pointed  windows  occur  in  the  principal 
facade  and  in  the  towers  at  each  angle.  The  main  body  of  the  building 
is  two  floors  in  height,  but  the  towers  are  carried  up  a  storey  higher. 
The  parapet  wall  is  battlemented  throughout.  On  the  western  side  is 
the  chief  entrance  leading  into  the  grand  hall,  which  is  hung  round  with 
old  Highland  weapons  and  armour.  This  hall  corresponds  in  design 
with  the  general  character  of  the  building,  but  the  rest  of  the  interior 
is  modern. 

*  This  gentleman,  an  amateur  of  great  taste,  was  a  younger  brother  of  Sir  George 
Jerningham,  the  owner  of  the  mansion.  He  also  supplied  the  designs  and  superintended 
the  restoration  of  Stafford  Castle,  which  had  been  demolished  by  order  of  Cromwell  to 
within  fifteen  feet  of  the  basement. 


The  Revival  in  Scotland.  59 


It  is  easy  to  conceive  that  in  a  country  like  Scotland,  where  the 
tales  and  traditions  of  Border  chivalry  still  lingered,  and  which  had 
hardly  yet  succumbed  to  the  modernising  influences  induced  by  a 
union  with  this  nation,  there  should  have  existed  a  romantic  but 
genuine  love  for  an  architecture  so  intimately  associated  with  its  early 
and  martial  history.  But  in  England  the  case  was  different.  Events 
had  occurred  which  tended  to  dissipate  that  species  of  nationality 
which  finds  an  echo  in  national  art.  The  character  of  our  literature, 
our  intercourse  with  France,  and  the  vulgar  superstition  which  then 
and  long  afterwards  identified  the  Pointed  arch  with  the  tenets  of 
Rome,  had  all  helped,  to  efface  anything  like  a  popular  feeling  in 
favour  of  Gothic.  Where  it  existed  with  individuals  it  generally 
assumed  the  form  of  a  false  and  eccentric  sentiment  based  on  a 
cockney  notion  of  old  ecclesiastical  life,  but  which  had  no  more  in 
common  with  real  monastic  seclusion  than  Byron's  affected  misan- 
thropy had  with  the  doctrines  of  Apemantus.  The  novels  of  Walpole 
and  the  pseudo-Mediaeval  whims  which  he  cherished  did  much  to 
encourage  this  feeling  in  the  clique  to  which  he  belonged.  Among 
those  who  imbibed  it  earliest  was  Thomas  Barrett,  a  gentleman  who 
had  been  elected  as  the  representative  of  Dover  in  1773,  but  who 
retired  into  private  life  on  the  dissolution  of  Parliament  which  followed 
soon  afterwards,  and  devoted  himself  to  rural  pursuits  at  his  country 
house  in  Kent.  There  Lord  Orford,  his  friend  and  correspondent, 
visited  him,  and  no  doubt  found  some  pleasure  in  examining  and 
criticising  the  queer  old  mansion  of  his  host,  which,  originally  built  in 
the  time  of  James  I.,  had  since  undergone  numerous  alterations.  One 
room  especially  struck  his  lordship's  fancy.  He  compared  it  to  an 
abbot's  study,  and  Mr.  Barrett,  who  had  long  thought  of  remodelling 
the  house,  caught  at  the  notion,  Gothicised  his  dwelling  in  1782,  and, 
though  it  neither  was  nor  ever  had  been  connected  with  any  conventual 
establishment,  insisted  on  calling  it  c  Lee  Priory.'  The  elder  Wyatt, 
then  a  young  man  rising  into  notice,  was  the  architect  employed  in  the 


6o  Lcc  Priory:  Milton  Abbas. 


design,  which  has  been  reckoned  among  the  most  successful  efforts  of 

his  youth. 

The  principal  entrance  front  of  the  '  Priory  '  is  on  the  north  side, 
where  the  centre  is  occupied  by  a  square  embattled  tower  with  pinnacles 
at  the  angles.  At  the  extremities  of  this  front  are  octagonal  turrets. 
The  chief  feature  of  the  west  front  is  a  large  mullioned  window,  above 
which  rises  the  large  eight-sided  tower  containing  the  library.  It  is 
surmounted  by  a  parapet  of  stone  designed  in  tracery  and  probably 
copied  from  some  old  example.  It  terminates  in  a  well-proportioned 
spire,  conspicuous  in  the  more  distant  views  above  the  mass  of  foliage 
by  which  the  house  is  surrounded.  The  south  elevation  is  flanked  by 
a  square  tower.  Although  the  greater  part  of  the  building  is  only  two 
storeys  in  height,  its  outline  is  sufficiently  varied  to  redeem  it  to  some 
extent  from  the  cold  formality  which  characterises  this  period  of  the 
Revival. 

Of  a  still  earlier  date  ( 177 1)  was  Milton  Abbas,  in  Dorsetshire, 
built  for  the  Earl  of  Dorchester  by  Sir  William  Chambers,  on  the  site 
of  an  old  abbey  house,  of  which  the  refectory  was  allowed  to  remain 
and  became  incorporated  in  the  new  design.  The  latter  presents  a 
symmetrical  facade.  The  central  block,  which  contains  the  principal 
entrance,  is  a  three- storey ed  building,  ornamented  at  each  angle  by  an 
octagonal  turret  and  cupola.  Right  and  left  of  this  block  are  minor 
buildings  two  floors  high,  connecting  it  with  side  wings  which  again 
rise  to  a  height  of  three  storeys  and  project  some  feet  beyond  the  rest. 

Arundel  Castle,  Sussex,  the  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  was  in 
a  ruinous  condition,  until  it  was  'restored'  by  his  Grace  in  177 1. 
The  Gothic  element  is  certainly  present  in  this  structure,  but  it  is  of 
that  kind  which  we  are  more  accustomed  to  associate  with  the  scenes 
of  a  theatre  than  with  the  masonry  of  the  Middle  Ages.  The  most 
important  elevation  contains  the  anomaly  of  a  Norman  doorway  sur- 
rounded by  perpendicular  windows. 

Ashburnham  Place,  in  Sussex,  is  another  building  of  the  same  class, 


Eighteenth  Century  Gothic.  61 


and  of  no  higher  pretensions  to  art.  The  chief  facade  is  divided  into 
compartments  by  octagonal  solid  turrets,  which  occupy  the  place  of 
buttresses.  It  is  crowned  by  a  heavily-machicolated  cornice.  The 
windows  are  square-headed,  and  labelled  with  a  Tudor  drip-stone.  A 
carriage-porch  in  the  centre  presents  a  lofty  archway  (without  impost) 
on  three  sides.      It  was  designed  by  George  Dance. 

In  Swinton  Park,  Yorkshire,  stood  an  old  mansion,  which,  towards 
the  end  of  the  last  century,  was  enlarged  and  improved  (?)  by  James 
Wyatt,  architect.  He  built  the  drawing-room,  assisted  by  Mr.  John 
Foss,  of  Richmond,  and  made  other  additions  to  the  house,  in  what 
was  then  called  the  castellated  style.  Early  in  this  century,  Mr.  Danbv, 
who  then  resided  there,  built  a  massive,  tower-like  wing  at  the  east  end 
of  the  same  residence,  from  the  designs  of  Robert  Lugar. 

Instances  of  the  application  of  Gothic  in  church  restoration,  between 
1700  and  1800,  are  by  no  means  rare,  but  inasmuch  as  they  were  for 
the  most  part  mere  reproductions  of  old  work,  due  rather  to  a  respect 
for  the  integrity  of  the  building  than  to  a  love  of  the  style,  it  is  hardly 
worth  while  to  quote  them  here. 

The  central  tower  of  Beverley  Minster  may,  however,  be  mentioned 
as  a  meagre  specimen  of  Perpendicular  work,  which  dates  from  this 
period.  In  Manchester,  the  Church  of  St.  Mary  and  Salford  Chapel 
have  Gothic  belfry-storeys  in  their  towers — the  rest  of  the  buildings  in 
each  case  being  Italian,  and  about  the  time  of  Queen  Anne.  A  chapel 
in  Windsor  Park — Mediaeval  at  least  in  motive — was  designed  early  in 
the  reign  of  George  III. 

The  close  of  the  last  century  was  remarkable  for  the  erection  of  a 
building  which,  for  its  size,  eccentricity  of  character,  and  bold  adapta- 
tion of  Gothic  form,  is  unequalled  in  importance  by  any  which  had 
preceded  it,  and  indeed  caused  no  small  sensation  amorjg  the  critics  and 
general  public  of  the  day.  The  fashion  which  once  prevailed  of  in- 
vesting, either  by  name  or  other  means,  any  modern  residence  which 
happened  to  include  a  pointed  arch  in  its  composition  with  something 


62  //  tlliam  Beckford. 


of  an  ecclesiastical  character  has  been  already  mentioned.  In  no  case 
was  this  foible  more  conspicuous  than  in  the  once  celebrated  Fonthill 
Abbey. 

The  history  of  this  strange  place  presents  so  many  features  for  con- 
sideration, and  is  so  inseparably  associated  with  that  of  its  still  more 
extraordinary  owner,  that  they  form  together  a  subject  which  calls  for 
special  comment. 

William  Beckford,  son  of  the  famous  alderman  of  that  name, 
and  author  of  '  Vathek,'  a  wild  Oriental  romance  which  has  been 
long  forgotten,  was  born  at  Fonthill-GifFard,  near  Salisbury,  on 
September  29,  1759.  ^'s  fatner  nad  acquired  great  wealth  in 
the  West  Indies,  and  was  celebrated  for  his  munificence,  both  in  the 
office  of  Lord  Mayor  (to  which  he  was  twice  elected,  in  the  years 
1763  and  1770)  and  as  an  encourager  of  the  fine  arts.  When  the 
young  heir  came  of  age,  he  succeeded  to  a  fortune  of  a  million  of 
money,  and  an  income  of  100,000/.  a  year.  An  early  predilection  for 
the  study  of  heraldry,  and  the  opportunities  which  he  enjoyed  of 
foreign  travel,  no  doubt  combined  to  form  in  him  a  taste  for  Gothic 
architecture,  which  in  later  life  he  gratified  by  raising  for  himself,  in 
that  style,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  mansions  of  the  day. 

He  had  previously  made  himself  notorious  by  encircling  the  greater 
portion  of  his  estate  at  Fonthill  with  a  wall  twelve  feet  high,  and  pro- 
tected by  a  chevaux  de  frise.  It  was  about  seven  miles  in  length,  and 
was  finished  by  the  contractor  in  little  more  than  a  year.  It  was  built 
to  prevent  the  intrusion  of  sportsmen  on  the  planted  and  arable  portion 
of  the  grounds,  Mr.  Beckford  having  a  great  dislike  to  the  pursuits  of 
hunting  and  shooting.  The  erection  of  this  wall  had  the  effect  of 
cutting  off  the  general  public  from  any  chance  of  inspecting  the  new 
residence  which,  in  accordance  with  the  whim  of  its  owner,  was  called 
Fonthill  Abbey,  and  which,  in  fact,  assumed  to  a  great  extent  the 
appearance  of  an  ecclesiastical  building.  It  was  cruciform  in  plan,  its 
length  from  north  to  south  being  312  feet,  while  the  transverse  portion 


Foil tli ill  Abbey.  63 


extended  to  250  feet,  from  east  to  west.  The  principal  feature  was  an 
octagonal  tower,  which  rose  from  the  centre  to  a  height  of  278  feet. 
To  give  an  idea  of  the  mystery  which  attended  its  construction,  we  may 
mention  that  in  a  number  of  the  *  Gentleman's  Magazine '  it  was 
seriously  announced  that  the  lantern  at  the  top  would  command  a 
view  of  the  surrounding  country  to  an  extent  of  eighty  miles,  and  that, 
notwithstanding  the  enormous  height  of  the  tower,  a  coach  and  six 
might  be  driven  with  convenience  from  the  base  to  the  summit,  and 
down  again. 

During  the  progress  of  the  works,  which  were  conducted  from  the 
designs  and  under  the  superintendence  of  James  Wyatt,  architect 
this  tower  accidentally  caught  fire,  and  Beckford,  who  possessed,  or 
perhaps  affected,  through  life,  a  philosophical  indifference  to  misfortune 
of  all  kinds,  is  said  to  have  enjoyed  from  his  garden  the  magnificent 
spectacle  of  its  conflagration.  The  erection  of  Fonthill  Abbey  was 
begun  in  1796,  and  extended  over  a  period  of  many  years.  During 
part  of  this  time  the  number  of  artificers  engaged  on  it,  in  various 
capacities,  was  extraordinary.  On  one  occasion  all  the  available  labour 
of  the  neighbourhood  was  monopolised  for  it,  and  even  the  agricultural 
industry  in  the  district  was  sensibly  affected.  On  another,  the  royal 
works  at  St.  George's  Chapel,  Windsor,  stood  still  for  the  same  reason. 
No  less  than  460  men  were  then  employed  on  the  building.  They 
worked  night  and  day,  relieving  each  other  in  gangs.  The  expenses 
thus  entailed  must  have  been  enormous.  Beckford  himself  stated  that 
the  entire  cost  of  Fonthill  Abbey  was  over  273,000/.  The  former 
family  seat,  inhabited  by  Alderman  Beckford,  was  an  Italian  structure. 
After  the  completion  of  the  c  Abbey  '  it  was  pulled  down,  and  the 
building  materials  alone  sold  for  10,000/. 

South  of  the  central  abbey  tower  was  a  wing,  then  known  as  St. 
Michael's  Gallery.  On  the  west  side  was  a  covered  cloister,  which 
connected  the  hall  with  a  block  of  buildings  at  the  end  of  the  south 
wing,  buttressed  and  flanked  by  two   octagonal  turrets.      Between  this 


64  Font  hill  Abbey. 


cloister  and  the  south  wing  of  the  Abbey  was  a  cortile,  in  the  centre  of 
which  a  fountain  played.  The  east  wing  was  carried  up  rather  higher 
than  the  rest,  and  included  in  its  design  two  turrets,  copied  from  those 
in  the  entrance  gateway  of  St.  Augustine's  Monastery,  at  Canterbury, 
and  features  of  the  same  kind,  but  of  a  smaller  size,  were  repeated  at 
the  end  nearest  the  central  block.  The  south  side  of  this  wing  was 
lighted  by  three  large  pointed  windows,  filled  with  tracery. 

The  principal  entrance  was  on  the  west  side,  and  consisted  of  a  lofty 
doorway,  thirty-one  feet  high.  It  was  spanned  by  a  richly  moulded 
pointed  arch,  the  drip-stone  of  which  bore  crockets  and  terminated  its 
ogival  curve  in  a  finial.  In  the  wall  above  was  a  small  window,  and 
above  this  the  gable  was  decorated  at  its  apex  by  a  niche  containing  a 
statue  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua. 

The  oratory  was  richly  ornamented  throughout.  The  ceiling  was  of 
oak,  gilded  and  divided  into  pendental  compartments.  To  ensure  a  dim 
and  mellow  light,  the  windows  of  this  room  were  inserted  in  a  hollow 
or  double  wall,  of  which  the  outer  fenestration  was  not  immediately 
opposite  the  inner  openings.     The  latter  were  filled  with  stained  glass. 

The  hall,  one  of  the  chief  internal  features  of  the  Abbey,  was  of 
important  dimensions,  being  sixty-eight  by  twenty-eight  feet  on  plan, 
and  seventy-eight  feet  high.  Thence,  under  a  lofty  arch,  the  grand 
staircase  led  to  the  floor  of  the  saloon  above.  This  central  apartment, 
which  formed  what  we  may  call  the  first  floor  of  the  octagonal  tower, 
was  connected  with  the  several  wings  of  the  building  by  four  lobbies. 
In  the  space  between  them  were  deep  recesses  about  fifty  feet  high  and 
lighted  by  windows  which  had  been  copied  from  some  in  the  Royal 
Monastery  at  Batalha ;  over  the  apex  of  the  arches  thus  used  was  a 
gallery  which  ran  round  the  tower.  Attached  columns  were  corbelled 
out  in  the  spandrels,  and  from  these  sprang  the  groining  which  carried 
the  lantern  above.  Both  the  east  postern  tower  and  that  at  the  south- 
east were  strengthened  with  buttresses,  and  their  parapets,  in  common 
with  those  throughout  the  building,  were  battlemented. 


Sale  of  Font  hill  Abbey.  65 


A  staircase  which  led  to  the  gallery  and  upper  portion  of  the  tower 
was  entered  through  a  lobby  on  the  left  of  the  western  vestibule.  The 
dining-room  and  library  were  both  elegantly  fitted  up  with  oak. 
Indeed,  the  arrangements  of  the  interior,  though  far  from  compatible 
with  comfort  (owing  to  the  nature  of  the  plan  and  a  constant  sacrifice 
to  external  effect),  were  of  a  most  costly  and  magnificent  character. 
Pictures,  objects  of  art  and  virtu,  and  every  luxury  which  wealth  could 
command  were  assembled  there  in  profusion.  Some  idea  of  their  value 
may  be  formed  when  we  state  that  in  18 19,  at  the  sale  of  the  Abbey 
and  its  contents  to  Mr.  Farquhar,  7,200  catalogues  at  a  guinea  each 
were  sold  in  a  few  days. 

It  was  only  when  the  building  had  passed  out  of  Beckford's  hands 
that  he  became  fully  aware  of  its  instability  and  how  shamefully  Wyatt 
(who,  by  the  way,  died  before  its  completion)  had  been  deceived  by 
those  to  whom  the  construction  of  the  Abbey  had  been  entrusted. 
A  few  years  after  the  sale,  Mr.  Beckford  was  summoned  to  the  death- 
bed of  a  man  who  had  been  clerk  of  works  at  Fonthill.  He  confessed 
that,  though  a  large  sum  of  money  had  been  paid  for  sound  founda- 
tions under  the  central  tower,  the  inverted  arches  described  in  the  spe- 
cification had  never  been  provided.  The  whole  fabric,  or  at  least  this 
portion  of  it,  might  fall  down  at  any  time.  The  only  wonder  was  how 
it  had  kept  so  long  together.  Beckford  lost  no  time  in  communicating 
with  Mr.  Farquhar  on  the  subject ;  but  that  gentleman  remarked  with 
coolness  that  he  had  no  doubt  it  would  last  his  lifetime.  He  was, 
however,  mistaken.  Not  long  afterwards  the  tower  fell  in  a  heap  of 
ruins.  Fonthill  Abbey  has  since  undergone  various  repairs  and  altera- 
tions. A  new  mansion  has  been  erected  near  its  site  ;  but  little  or  no 
vestige  remains  of  that  strange  ambitious  building  which  was  once  the 
wonder  of  the  western  counties,  and  which  formed  so  important  a 
feature  in  the  Gothic  Revival. 

We  have  already  seen  how  materially  literature   and   the  labours  of 
the  antiquary  helped  to  sustain  the  traditions  of  Mediaeval  art.     Let  us 

F 


66  Literature  of  the  Revival. 


now  take  a  rapid  survey   of  those  books  which  were  published  during 
the  eighteenth  century  in  connection  with  this  subject. 

So  early  as  1683  Lord  Clarendon  had  begun  his  'History  and 
Antiquities  of  Winchester  Cathedral.'  The  work  was  continued  by 
Mr.  Samuel  Gale,  who  in  17 15  published  the  result  of  their  joint 
labours.  The  volume  contained  a  full  description  of  the  tombs  and 
monuments  in  the  church,  together  with  an  account  of  all  its  bishops, 
deans,  and  prebendaries,  to  which  was  added  the  history  and  antiquities 
of  Hyde  Abbey.     A  later  edition  appeared  in  1723. 

Thomas  Pownall,  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  and  of  the  Society  of 
Antiquaries,  a  gentleman  of  considerable  learning  and  political  know- 
ledge, was  born  at  Lincoln  in  1722,  and  died  in  1805.  He  wrote  on 
the  (  Origin  of  Gothic  Architecture.'  The  treatise  is  little  known, 
and  there  is  no  copy  of  it  in  the  British  Museum. 

In  1 722-3  two  additional  volumes  to  Dugdale's  c  Monasticon  '  were 
added  by  Mr.  John  Stevens. 

In  1762  appeared  Perry's  c  Series  of  English  Medals,'  in  which  the 
author  attempted  to  illustrate  and  classify  Gothic  tracery  from  the 
Conquest  downwards.     The  descriptive  text  was  written  by  Mr.  John 

Aubrey. 

A  more  important  work  was  published  in  1771  by  James  Bentham, 
M.A.,  Fellow  of  the  Society  of  Antiquaries  and  rector  of  Feltwell 
St.  Nicholas,  Norfolk.  It  was  entitled  '  The  History  and  Antiquities 
of  the  Conventual  Church  of  Ely,  from  the  Foundation  of  the 
Monastery,  a.d.  673,  to  the  year  1 77 1 .'  It  was  printed  at  the 
Cambridge  University  Press,  and  was  illustrated  with  engravings  on 
copper  of  interior  views,  plans,  monuments,  &c,  by  P.  S.  Lamborn, 
from  the  drawings  of  Mr.  Heins.  Some  of  the  architectural  examples 
are  selected  with  little  discrimination,  but  they  are,  on  the  whole,  very 
finely  etched. 

1  The  Carpenter's  Treasure,  a  collection  of  designs  for  temples,  with 
their  plans,  gates,  doors,  rails,  &c,  in  the  Gothic  taste,'  is  a  curious 


Grose  s  'Antiquities  of  England:  67 

little  book  by  one  Wallis,  which  made  its  appearance  in  1774,  and  may 
perhaps  be  still  met  with  at  old  bookstalls. 

Grose's  '  Antiquities  of  England  and  Wales ' — one  of  the  most 
comprehensive  works  of  the  kind  which  had  appeared  since  Dugdale's 
f  Monasticon ' — was  published  in  four  folio  volumes,  to  which  were 
afterwards  added  two  supplementary  volumes,  between  the  years  1773 
and  1787.  It  is  amply  illustrated  with  careful  engravings.  In  a 
lengthy  preface  the  author  gives  a  useful  essay  on  Gothic  Architecture, 
including  a  general  history  of  ancient  British  castles,  explaining  the 
terms  relative  to  the  construction  of  their  garrisons,  and  the  old 
machines  used  for  attack  and  defence.  To  this  information  is  added 
a  useful  account  of  British  monastic  institutions,  compiled  from  the 
(then)  best  existing  authorities,  including  Domesday  Book,  which  is 
frequently  quoted.  The  architectural  drawings  which  accompany  this 
work  vary  in  merit.  Ornamental  sculpture,  when  given  in  detail, 
is  feebly  drawn,  but  the  general  views  are  useful,  and  doubly  interesting 
when  we  remember  that  many  of  the  buildings  which  they  illustrate 
have  since  perished.  Fonts,  brasses,  and  other  objects  of  ecclesiastical 
service  are  represented,  and  the  second  volume  of  the  supplement 
includes  some  etchings  and  descriptive  text  of  Druidical  remains  in  the 
Channel  Islands.  In  treating  the  English  and  Welsh  antiquities,  each 
county  is  separately  considered  and  accompanied  by  a  small  map,  with 
a  list  of  the  places  most  worthy  of  notice.  Mr.  Grose  was  assisted  in 
this  work  by  various  antiquarians,  clergymen,  and  artists  of  his  time. 
He  makes  especial  mention  of  Mr.  Gough,  Thomas  Sandly,  then 
professor  of  architecture  to  the  Royal  Academy,  and  several  noble- 
men and  gentlemen  who  furnished  descriptions  or  histories  of  their 
seats. 

In  1789  the  same  author  produced  his  'Antiquities  of  Scotland'  in 
two  folio  volumes,  a  useful  work  of  its  kind,  prefaced  by  an  introduc- 
tion, in  which  the  history  and  leading  characteristics  of  Mediaeval 
Scotland  are  described.     The  engravings,  most  of  which  were  executed 

F   2 


63  Carter  s  Works. 


by  a  Mr.  Sparrow,  are  inferior  to  those  of  the  England  and  Wales 

series. 

In  1795  Mr.  Grose  undertook  the  same  sort  of  work  for  Ireland, 
on  this  occasion  in  two  quarto  volumes — also  prefaced  by  a  description 
of  Irish  architecture.  It  is  remarkable  that,  in  almost  all  illustrations 
of  sculptured  ornament  which  were  produced  at  this  time,  there  is  one 
unvaried  and  conventional  treatment  noticeable.  If  a  knot  of  foliage 
or  a  carved  head  is  to  be  represented  on  a  cornice  or  in  a  capital,  it  is 
drawn  in  outline  or  with  the  faintest  indication  of  half-tone,  while  the 
ground  on  which  it  is  supposed  to  be  relieved  is  shaded  flat,  without 
any  attempt  to  show  cast  shadows.  The  result  of  this  is  an  extra- 
ordinary meanness  of  effect,  much  at  variance  with  the  bold  and  artistic 
manner  in  which  general  views  were  often  treated  by  the  same 
draughtsman. 

This  fault  was  to  some  extent  avoided  by  Mr.  Carter,  an  architect, 
who   in    1786    published    his    c  Specimens    of   ancient    Sculpture    and 
Painting,'   which    he    dedicated    to    Horace    Walpole.       It    contained 
numerous    illustrations    and    letter-press    descriptive    of    monuments, 
brasses,  encaustic  tiles,  wall-painting,  and  mural  sculpture,  &c,   and 
was  a  most  valuable  contribution  to  the  art  literature  of  his  time.      In 
1795   the  same  gentleman  brought  out  his  c  Ancient  Architecture  of 
England.'     It    was   divided   into    two   parts,   the   first    being   entitled 
*  The  Orders  *  of  Architecture  during  the  British,  Roman,  Saxon,  and 
Norman  eras.'     The  second  part  was  called  '  The   Orders  of  Archi- 
tecture during  the  reigns   of  Henry   III.,  Edward   III.,  Richard    II., 
Henry  VII.,  and  Henry  VIII.'     The  engravings  in  this  book,  though 
somewhat  coarse,  are  boldly  and  skilfully  executed,  the  author's  pro- 
fessional skill,  no  doubt,  enabling  him  to  render  the  illustrations  of  a 
more  useful  and  practical  kind  than  many  which  had  preceded  them  ; 

*  It  was  long  before  the  use  of  this  foolish  word  was  abandoned.  It  had  been 
unsatisfactory  in  its  application  to  Greek  and  Roman  art,  but  it  became  ridiculous  in 
connection  with  Medixval  architecture. 


Hearne's  'Antiquities  of  Great  Britain.'  69 

details  were  now  given,  with  plans  and  sections  of  mouldings,  and  the 
examples  were  selected  with  taste  and  judgment.  In  the  delineation 
of  carved  foliage,  the  spirit  of  ancient  art  was  still  misinterpreted,  and 
many  of  the  earlv  English  capitals  in  Carter's  book  remind  one  more 
of  the  Renaissance  school  than  of  the  period  to  which  they  belong. 
But,  taken  as  a  whole,  the  work  was  a  decided  advance  on  what  had 
hitherto  appeared.  It  was  dedicated  to  the  Duke  of  York,  who  had 
been  a  patron  of  Carter,  and  had  employed  him  to  carry  out  some 
designs  at  Oatlands  in  accordance  with  the  style  which,  it  appears,  His 
Royal  Highness,  as  well  as  our  author,  affected. 

Hearne's  f  Antiquities  of  Great  Britain,'  illustrated  by  views  of 
monasteries,  castles,  and  churches,  many  of  which  were  then  existing  in 
a  ruined  state,  was  printed  by  James  Phillips,  in  George  Yard,  Lom- 
bard Street,  and  published  jointly  by  T.  Hearne  and  W.  Byrne,  the 
former  of  whom  drew  and  the  latter  engraved  the  illustrations,  in  1786. 
The  architectural  views,  like  many  others  of  the  same  class  and  date, 
were  executed  with  reference  rather  to  general  and  picturesque  effect, 
than  to  any  accuracy  of  detail.  Short  descriptions,  written  in  French 
and  English,  accompany  each  plate  in  the  volume,  which  is  of  an 
oblong  quarto  size. 

In  the  same  year  (1786)  Gough  published  his  f  Sepulchral  Monu- 
ments of  Great  Britain,'  a  large  and  important  work  of  five  folio 
volumes,  which  gave  not  only  excellent  illustrations  of  tombs,  mural 
monuments,  brasses,  costumes,  armour,  &c,  of  the  Middle  Ages,  but 
descriptive  text  of  great  value  to  the  antiquary. 

Although  the  merits  of  Pointed  architecture  were  now  becoming 
gradually  acknowledged,  its  decorative  features  had  still  been  little 
studied.  The  publication,  therefore,  of  a  work  devoted  almost  ex- 
clusively to  the  illustration  of  Mediaeval  sculpture  was  an  event  of 
some  importance.  In  1795  Mr.  Joseph  Halfpenny  brought  out  a 
book  of  this  description  entitled  c  Gothic  Ornaments  in  the  Cathedral 
Church    of  York.'       The   illustrations   were   drawn    and   etched    by 


yo  Bentham  and  Willis. 


himself.  They  are  exceedingly  careful  and  delicate  in  execution,  but 
wanting  in  spirit,  and,  in  fact,  are  far  too  smooth  and  neat  to  be 
characteristic  of  ancient  art.  The  carved  work  is  coldly  drawn,  and 
wherever  two  sides  of  a  capital  are  identical  in  motive,  the  foliage  is 
reproduced  line  by  line  at  each  corner  without  the  slightest  deviation 
of  curve.  The  result  is  of  course  an  absence  of  vitality  for  which  no 
refinement  can  atone.  Again,  the  leaves  themselves  are  frequently 
bounded  by  a  hard  outline  or  mass  of  shadow  gradated  evenly  from 
their  edges  to  the  ground  behind.  This  gave  them  a  sharp  metallic 
appearance  which  is  absolutely  false  in  effect.  But  the  most  curious 
and  inexcusable  fault  of  all  was  the  manner  in  which  the  sculpture  of 
human  features  was  delineated.  Almost  all  the  grotesque  heads  in 
Halfpenny's  engravings  are  leering  at  each  other  with  fupilled  eyes. 
Such  representations  fail  to  convey  the  notion  of  sculpture  altogether, 
and  become  vulgar  caricatures.  This  foolish  conceit  has,  happily,  long 
been  abandoned. 

[\\  1798  James  Bentham  and  Brown  Willis  published  a  'History  of 
Gothic  and  Saxon  Architecture  in  England,  exemplified  by  descriptions 
of  the  Cathedrals,  &c.'  It  appeared  in  a  thin  folio  volume,  containing 
large  engravings  of  perspective  exteriors,  not  devoid  of  grace,  but 
wanting  in  appreciation  of  detail.  In  this  treatise  Bentham  defends 
Mediaeval  architecture  from  the  stigma  of  c  barbarism '  with  which 
modern  ignorance  had  associated  it.  He  was,  however,  but  a  cautious 
champion  of  the  style,  and  evidently  laboured  under  the  impression, 
which  has  been  entertained  even  in  our  own  day,  that  King's  College 
Chapel  represented  the  culminating  glory  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

Indeed,  it  seems  to  be  only  within  the  last  decade  of  years  that  we 
have  learned  to  reverse  that  theory,  and  to  admire  the  period  of 
Mediaeval  art  which  was  distinguished,  not  for  the  cunning  intricacy  of 
its  ornament,  but  for  graceful  simplicity  of  design  and  for  sound  prin- 
ciples of  construction. 

It  would  be  ungrateful,  however,  to  ignore  the  services  rendered  to 


The  Gothic  Revival.  71 

the  cause  of  the  Gothic  Revival  by  many  an  antiquary  and  many  an 
author  of  the  last  century,  because  their  opinions  and  their  books  fail 
to  suggest  or  illustrate  those  principles  of  taste  which  have  since  been 
enlightened  by  later  research  and  more  practised  skill. 

It  was  something,  at  least,  to  draw  attention  to  the  noble  works  of 
our  ancestors,  which  had  long  been  neglected  and  despised :  to  record 
with  the  pencil  or  the  pen  some  testimony,  however  inadequate,  of  their 
goodly  forms  and  worthy  purpose  :  to  invest  with  artistic  and  historical 
interest  the  perishing  monuments  of  an  age  when  art  was  pure  and 
genuine. 

And  if,  at  the  present  day,  we  flatter  ourselves  that  the  buildings 
which  we  raise  have  at  length  realised  the  spirit  of  old  English  architec- 
ture, and  reproduced  its  most  essential  merits,  let  us  remember  that 
these  works  have  been  aided  by  the  past,  and  will  be  judged  by  a  future 
generation,  and  as  the  former  strove  to  teach,  the  latter  will  not  fail  to 
criticise. 


72  Difficulties  of  Classification. 


CHAPTER    V. 

N  reviewing  the  various  phases  through  which  the  fine  arts 
have  passed  from  their  earliest  development  down  to  the 
present  time,  it  has  long  been  the  custom  to  indicate  such 
phases  chronologically  by  the  names  of  successive  centuries.  This  has 
been  especially  the  case  with  English  architecture  of  the  Middle  Ages, 
because  it  would  be  hardly  possible  by  any  different  system  to  distin- 
guish schools  which  followed,  or  rather  grew  out  of,  each  other  so 
gradually  and  imperceptibly,  and  in  which  the  change  from  style  to 
style  must  be  attributed  to  the  inevitable  progression  of  national  taste 
rather  than  to  that  influence  of  individual  skill  or  genius  which  marks 
the  history  of  pictorial  art. 

It  is,  however,  but  an  approximately  correct  method  of  classification, 
and  if  imperfect  as  an  index  to  the  varieties  of  ancient  architecture,  will 
be  found  doubly  so  in  dealing  with  the  works  of  modern  days.  The 
present  age,  from  numerous  causes  upon  which  it  is  not  now  necessary 
to  dilate,  presents  a  greater  diversity  of  opinion  on  matters  assthetical 
than  probably  ever  before  existed  in  one  country  at  the  same  time. 
Yet  in  this  nineteenth  century,  01  rather  that  portion  of  it  included 
within  the  last  thirty  years,  the  glimmering  sparks  of  enthusiasm  for 
Mediaeval  art  first  quickened  into  a  flame,  which  though  it  is  still 
exposed  to  the  fitful  gusts  of  private  bias  and  public  caprice,  promises 
one  day  to  burn  long  and  steadily. 

It  would,  of  course,  be  impossible  to  give  anything  like  a  detailed 
description  of  even  the  prominent  examples  of  the  Revival  during  that 
period.  As  they  increase  in  number  they  necessarily  diminish  in,  at 
least,  historical  interest,  and  it  will  therefore  be  desirable  that  the  more 


The  I  Forks  of  Nash.  73 


modern  section  of  this  history  should  be  devoted  to  the  characteristics 
of  each  architect,  as  typified  in  his  most  important  works,  rather  than  to 
the  endless  task  of  describing  every  building  which  in  this  generation, 
by  pinnacle  or  pointed  arch,  puts  in  an  appearance  as  Gothic. 

The  instances,  however,  of  that  style  which  belong  to  what  we  may 
be  allowed  to  call  the  pr<e-Puginesque  era  are  entitled  to  our  respect  as 
resulting  from  a  spirit  that  stemmed  the  current  of  popular  prejudice 
before  the  genius  and  ingenuity  of  later  minds  had  been  brought  to 
bear  on  the  subject,  or  the  maturer  study  of  ancient  models  had  taught 
experience  in  design. 

Among  the  architects  who  at  the  dawn  of  the  present  century  con- 
tributed by  their  works  to  the  Revival  were  Wyatt  and  Nash.  The 
former  has  been  already  mentioned  in  connection  with  Fonthill  Abbey, 
which  he  did  not  live  to  see  completed.  He  was  employed  on  many 
ether  large  works  in  Wiltshire,  including  the  restoration  of  Salisbury 
Cathedral. 

Nash's  alterations  and  additions  to  Windsor  Castle — especially  the 
Waterloo  Gallery,  though  far  from  embodying  the  spirit  of  the  ancient 
structure — were  nevertheless  good  of  their  kind.  His  country  houses, 
especially  in  Ireland,  were  chiefly  of  the  pseudo-baronial  sort,  which, 
for  want  of  better  definition,  received  the  general  name  of  c  castellated.' 
Among  them  the  mansions  of  Lord  Lorton  and  Lord  Gort  may  be 
mentioned.  Ravensworth  Castle,  at  Gateshead,  is  another  example  of 
his  skill.  Luscombe,  near  Dawlish  in  Devonshire,  was  begun  for  Mr. 
Charles  Hoare,  from  designs  by  Nash,  in  1800,  and  finished  in  1804. 
The  south  or  garden  front  *  consists  of  a  large  octagonal  tower  in  the 
centre,  united  by  three  of  its  sides  to  the  main  building,  which  extends 
east  and  west  of  it.  At  the  east  end  is  a  cloister  of  Tudor  arches  with 
an  embattled  parapet.     The  piers   of  each  bay   are   strengthened  by 

*  In  this  and  other  cases  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  description  given  is  of  the 
original  design.  Many  houses  of  this  date  have,  of  course,  since  undergone  alteration, 
and  some  have  been  pulled  down. 


•74  The  Works  of  IVyatt. 


buttresses  which  terminate  in  pinnacles  above.  On  the  west  side  is  a 
porch  of  the  same  character,  with  a  mullioned  window  deeply  recessed. 
The  first  floor  of  the  tower  is  lighted  by  two  large  pointed  windows 
filled  with  stained  glass.  The  dining-room  is  at  the  east  end.  The 
west  is  occupied  by  offices,  and  on  the  north  is  a  square  tower,  the 
lower  part  of  which  forms  an  opened  porch,  with  a  pointed  arch  on 
three  sides.      The  whole  is  a  bold  and  vigorous  composition. 

Belvoir  Castle,  in  Leicestershire,  is  an  old  building  which  was  entirely 
remodelled  in  the  early  part  of  this  century  by  the  Duke  of  Rutland, 
under  the  direction  of  James  Wyatt,  at  an  expense  of,  at  least,  200,000/. 
Its  principal  feature  is  a  circular  tower,  four  storeys  in  height,  crowned 
by  a  machicolated  parapet.  The  windows  of  this  tower  are  flat-pointed, 
or  nearly  round-headed.  They  are  divided  into  two  lights,  each  head 
being  filled  with  tracery.  The  rest  of  the  building  presents  a  straggling 
but  not  unpicturesque  assemblage  of  features,  including  two  octagonal 
turrets  with  pinnacles  at  each  angle,  and  three  square  towers  of  various 
dimensions,  also  machicolated.  Some  of  the  windows  here  and  there 
are  pointed,  but  as  a  rule  they  have  square  heads  with  Tudor  labels — 
a  species  of  decoration  which  once  passed  for  good  Gothic.  The  lower 
part  of  the  principal  tower  forms  a  colonnade  from  which  stone  brackets 
project  to  carry  a  verandah  above.  The  buttresses  used  here,  and 
throughout  Wyatt's  work,  are  generally  of  a  thin  and  wiry  description. 
They  are,  for  the  most  part,  divided,  whatever  their  height  may  be, 
into  two  pretty  equal  portions  by  one  set-off.  On  October  16,  1816, 
while  the  works  were  in  progress,  a  most  calamitous  fire  broke  out, 
which  destroyed  a  considerable  portion  of  this  building.  Among  the 
rest,  a  valuable  picture  gallery  was  consumed,  and  many  paintings  of 
Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  including  the  celebrated  c  Nativity,'  perished  in 
the  flames. 

During  the  works  recently  carried  out  at  Combe  Abbey,  the  Earl  of 
Craven's  seat,  an  old  room  was  taken  down  which  had  long  been  sup- 
posed to  belong  to  the  Elizabethan  age.  Before  its  demolition,  how- 
ever, certain  facts  were  brought  to  light  with  regard  to  constructive 


Country  Mansions.  75 

detail  which  leave  little  doubt  that  it  was  erected  at  a  much  later 
period.  The  ceiling  had  been  decorated  with  papier-mache  orna- 
ment, and  the  panel  lining  of  the  wall  proved,  on  examination,  to 
be  composed  of  deal  strips  glued  in  their  places,  instead  of  being 
worked  in  solid  wood.  A  transomed  window  by  which  the  room 
had  been  lighted  was  executed  in  cast  iron.  The  fireplace  alone  was 
genuine  old  work.  It  had  evidently  been  refixed  when  the  room  was 
c  remodelled,'  which  is  supposed  to  have  happened  in  1803. 

The  foundation-stone  of  Lord  Bridgewater's  seat,  Ashridge,  in 
Buckinghamshire,  was  laid  in  1808.  It  was  a  large  and  important 
mansion  of  a  Mediaeval  character,  built  on  the  site  of  an  old  edifice,  of 
which  portions  were  allowed  to  remain  and  become  incorporated  in  the 
new  work  which  was  carried  out  by  Wyatt.  The  style  is  Tudor.  Its 
principal  facade  is  decorated  with  turrets,  and  with  a  porch  which 
reminds  us  of  the  c  Lords'  entrance  '  in  the  present  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment. The  design  exhibits  no  obtrusive  faults,  but  is  remarkable  for 
great  coldness  of  treatment. 

Elvaston  Hall,  near  Derby,  was  an  old  mansion  belonging  to  Lord 
Harrington,  but  the  principal  portion  was  rebuilt  early  in  this  century 
by  Mr.  Walker,  an  architect  who,  however,  only  carried  out  Wyatt's 
plans.  It  contains  the  usual  complement  of  turrets  and  battlements, 
but  has  also  a  very  fair  oriel  window.  Nash  built  Garnstone  House 
in  Herefordshire,  and  a  house  for  Colonel  Scudamore,  at  Kentchurch 
Park,  both  of  which  may  be  considered  examples  of  the  Revival. 
Childwall  Hall,  Lancashire,  was  another  of  his  efforts  in  the  same  direc- 
tion. It  is  a  two-storeyed  building,  flanked  by  square  and  octagonal 
towers,  and  heavily  machicolated.  His  designs  for  Magdalen  College, 
Oxford,  were  much  admired  at  the  time — they  were,  however,  never 
executed.  In  his  own  residence,  East  Cowes  Castle,  he  had  an 
opportunity  of  indulging  a  taste  which  was  more  distinguished  for 
its  appreciation  of  Gothic  than  that  which  characterised  most  of  his 
contemporaries. 

Donnington  Hall,  in  Leicestershire,  the  property  of  Lord  Hastings, 


76  Hawarden  Castle:  Dittou  Park,  &c. 


was  erected  between  1790  and  1800,  by  Mr.  W.  Wilkins,  architect. 
In  composition  it  presents  a  rectangular  mass,  with  a  porch,  tower,  and 
turrets.  Coleorton  Hall,  in  the  same  county,  once  the  country  seat  of 
the  generous  art  patron,  Sir  George  Beaumont,  was  one  of  the  few 
attempts  in  the  way  of  Pointed  architecture  which  were  made  by  G. 
Dance.*  Stanley  Hall,  in  Shropshire,  was  built  early  in  the  present 
century  by  Mr.  Smalman,  an  architect  of  Quatford,  near  Bridgnorth, 
and  is  not  a  bad  specimen  of  provincial  work.  Armitage  Park,  about 
six  miles  from  Lichfield,  in  Staffordshire,  and  Rindlesham  Hall,  near 
Woodbridge,  Suffolk,  are  interesting  as  early  specimens  of  nineteenth- 
century  Gothic. 

Hawarden  Castle  was  built  by  Sir  John  Glynne  in  1752.  There  had 
formerly  existed  on  the  same  spot  an  old  mansion  of  wood  and  plaster 
belonging  to  the  Ravenscroft  family,  called  Broadlane  House.  The 
new  residence  was  an  unpretending  but  substantially  constructed  house, 
which  retained  its  original  name  until  1809,  when  Sir  Stephen  Glynne, 
assisted  by  the  professional  advice  of  Mr.  Thomas  Cundy,  caused  the 
brick  exterior  to  be  cased  with  stone  in  the  c  castellated '  style. 

Lord  Montagu's  seat  at  Ditton  Park,  Somersetshire,  was  designed  by 
Mr.  Atkinson,  architect,  about  181 1.  It  is  in  part  a  three-storeyed 
building,  while  the  rest  consists  of  only  two  floors.  In  general  plan 
it  is  nearly  quadrangular.  The  central  feature  is  a  square  tower,  to 
which  a  turret  is  added  at  one  corner.  The  windows  are  square-headed 
and  protected  by  an  ordinary  Tudor  drip-stone.  About  the  same  time 
Lord  De  la  Warr's  old  country  mansion,  Bourn  House  in  Cambridge- 
shire, was  restored  by  Mr.  John  Adey  Repton,  who  introduced  new 
features,  such  as  bay-windows,  chimney-shafts,  &c.  Cobham  Hall, 
Kent,  then  the  residence  of  Lord  Darnley,  was  another  old  building 
on  which  the  elder  Repton  and  his  two  sons,  besides  Wyatt,  were 
employed  at  various  times  for  additions  and  restoration. 

*  A  new  storey  was  added  to  this  building  (Coleorton  Hall)  in  1862,  from  the  designs 
of  Mr.  F.  P.  Cockercll. 


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Eaton  Hall.  77 


One  of  the  most  important  attempts  at  Pointed  architecture  of  this 
date  is  Eaton  Hall,  Cheshire,  the  seat  of  the  Marquis  of  Westminster. 
In  design  it  is  a  mixture  of  Early  and  Late  Gothic.  It  was  built  on  the 
site  of  an  old  mansion,  erected  by  Sir  Thomas  Grosvenor  in  the  reign 
of  King  William.  The  later  structure  was  designed  by  Mr.  Porden, 
an  architect  whose  name  has  been  long  forgotten,  but  who,  no  doubt,  had 
considerable  practice  in  his  day.  It  was  probably  finished  quite  early 
in  this  century,  for  a  full  account  of  it  is  given  in  the  *  Monthly 
Magazine'  for  September  18  14. 

The  south-east  view  presents  a  large  quadrangular  block  of  buildings 
irregularly  divided  into  bays  by  buttresses  and  turrets.  It  is  three 
storeys  in  height,  with  a  battlemented  parapet  running  round  the  main 
walls.  The  windows  were  filled  with  tracery,  but  the  latter  was 
executed  in  cast  iron,  moulded  on  both  sides,  and  grooved  to  receive 
the  glass.  The  walls,  balustrades,  battlements,  and  pinnacles,  are  of 
a  light-coloured  stone.  The  principal  entrance  to  the  house  is  in  the 
middle  of  the  west  front,  under  a  vaulted  portico,  which  admits  a 
carriage  to  the  steps  leading  to  the  hall,  a  spacious  and  lofty  apartment 
occupying  the  height  of  two  storeys,  and  roofed  by  a  vaulted  ceiling. 
The  pavement  is  of  coloured  marble  arranged  in  geometrical  patterns. 
f  At  the  end  of  the  hall  a  screen  of  five  arches  supports  a  gallery  that 
connects  the  bed-chambers  on  the  north  side  of  the  house  with  those 
on  the  south.  Under  this  gallery  two  open  arches  to  the  right  and 
left  conduct  to  the  grand  staircase,  and  opposite  to  the  door  of  the  hall 
is  the  entrance  to  the  saloon.'  The  grand  staircase  itself  is  enriched 
with  canopied  niches,  and  with  groining  under  the  landings  and  sky- 
light. The  second  staircase  was  constructed  of  cast  iron,  after  a  design 
which  no  doubt  was  then  considered  very  appropriate.  The  saloon 
forms  a  square  on  plan  about  thirty  feet  each  way.  Fan  tracery, 
executed  in  plaster  (but  now  removed),  sprang  from  attached  columns 
at  the  angles  and  sides  of  the  room  to  receive  the  vault,  which  in  plan 
was    nearly    octagonal.      On   the    right   and   left   are   little   vestibules 


78  Eaton  Hall:  Seldon  House. 


which  must  be  passed  to  reach  the  drawing-room  and  dining-room. 
The  windows  of  these  rooms  are  traceried  and  filled  with  painted  glass. 
The  dining-room  at  the  north  extremity  of  the  east  front  is  about  fifty- 
feet  long.  The  ceiling  was  panelled,  and  a  central  pendant  was  con- 
structed to  carry  a  chandelier.  The  drawing-room  occupies  the  south 
extremity  of  the  east  front,  and  is  of  the  same  form  and  general  dimen- 
sions as  the  dining-room,  with  the  addition  of  a  large  window  (now 
blocked  up)  which  had  a  southern  aspect.*  The  library  is  in  the  centre 
of  the  south  front ;  its  ceiling  and  large  bow  window  being  decorated  in 
character  with  the  other  features  above  mentioned.  It  is  fitted  up  with 
oak.  In  the  principal  facades,  the  windows  are  pointed,  and  many 
have  ogival  hood-mouldings.  The  middle  window  of  the  saloon  opens 
on  a  vaulted  cloister,  occupying  the  space  between  the  dining-room  and 
drawing-room,  and  from  the  cloister  a  flight  of  steps  leads  to  a  spacious 
terrace.  The  size  of  this  building  alone  would  make  it  imposing,  but 
the  distribution  of  parts,  as  in  many  efforts  of  that  day,  is  more  suited 
to  the  outline  of  an  Italian  composition  than  that  of  a  Gothic  design, 
while  the  character  of  the  details  is  of  a  pseudo-ecclesiastical  kind. 
Indeed,  here  as  in  many  other  contemporary  examples  of  the  Revival, 
it  is  evident  that  the  architect  sought  his  inspiration  in  the  churches 
rather  than  in  the  domestic  architecture  of  the  Middle  Ages.  The 
noble  mansions  of  old  England  had  still  to  be  studied. 

Seldon  House,  near  Croydon,  had  for  its  garden  front  a  sort  of 
arcade,  divided  into  five  bays,  each  spanned  by  a  pointed  arch  with 
buttresses  between.  This  arcade  was  flanked  on  either  side  by  turrets 
which  rose  above  the  parapet  of  the  building.  It  was  completed  early 
in  this  century. 

At  the  same  period  Lord  Derby's  residence  at  Knowsley  Park  was 

*  Since  this  description  was  written,  Mr.  A.  Watcrhouse  has  been  employed  bv  the 
present  Marquis  of  Westminster  to  remodel  the  building,  which  will  thus  undergo  con- 
siderable alteration  and  improvement.  The  internal  decorations  will  be  of  an  exceedingly- 
rich  and  beautiful  description. 


Sir  Robert  Smirke.  79 


rebuilt,  '  in  the  style  of  a  baronial  mansion/  under  the  superintendence 
of  Mr.  Foster  of  Liverpool,  while  Mrs.  Bulwer  Lytton  adopted  the 
now  rapidly  developed  taste  in  erecting  Knebworth  House,  in  Hert- 
fordshire, about  fifty  years  ago. 

Warleigh  House,  a  two-storeyed  building,  was  raised  in  1814  for 
Mr.  Henry  Skrine  by  Mr.  Webb,  a  Staffordshire  architect. 

After  Wyatt  and  Nash  perhaps  Smirke  may  be  next  reckoned  in 
importance.  He  built  Eastnor  Castle,  in  Herefordshire,  for  Lord 
Somers.  It  is  a  massive  and  gloomy-looking  building,  flanked  by 
watch-towers,  and  enclosing  a  keep.  To  preserve  the  character  at 
which  it  aimed,  the  windows  were  made  exceedingly  small  and  narrow. 
This  must  have  resulted  in  much  inconvenience  within.  Indeed  all 
the  admirers  of  Pointed  architecture  fell  at  this  time  into  the  grievous 
error  of  supposing  that  its  merits  lay  in  the  quaint  unccuthness  of  early 
necessity  rather  than  in  those  immutable  but  ever  applicable  principles 
which  should  really  hold  as  good  now  as  they  did  five  hundred  years 
ago,  and  accommodate  themselves  to  every  new  requirement  and  modern 
invention.  The  building  in  question  might  have  made  a  tolerable  fort 
before  the  invention  of  gunpowder,  but  as  a  residence  it  was  a 
picturesque  mistake. 

Wilton  Castle,  in  Yorkshire,  was  built  by  Smirke,  on  the  site  and 
out  of  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  edifice.  Offley  Place,  in  Hertfordshire,  a 
Tudor  mansion,  also  designed  by  him,  is  a  large  building  three  storeys 
high,  having  in  the  centre  of  its  block  a  tower  20  feet  square  which 
contains  the  staircase,  and  is  lighted  by  painted  windows.  The  library 
is  nearly  40  feet  long. 

In  Scotland,  Gillespie  was  the  great  revivalist  of  his  day.  Lord 
Macdonald's  seat  at  Armidale,  in  Inverness,  was  built  from  his  designs. 
He  enlarged  Wishaw,  in  Lanarkshire,  for  Lord  Belhaven,  and  also 
erected  Culdees  Castle,  once  the  residence  of  General  Drummond.  The 
latter  is  in  the  oft-quoted  c  castellated  '  style  and  includes  in  its  compo- 
sition a  square  tower,  which,  like  the  one  at  Offley  Place,  is  used  for  a 


8o  J°hn  Brit  ton. 


hall  and  staircase.     It  has  a  large  pointed  window  on  one  side  enriched 

with  tracery. 

Crichton  was  another  Scotch  architect  of  some  note.  He  prepared 
plans  for  Abercairny  Abbey,  in  Perthshire,  which  his  successors,  Messrs. 
Dickson,  of  Edinburgh,  afterwards  carried  out. 

In  Ireland,  the  reintroduction  of  Pointed  architecture  was  mainly  due 
to  the  skill  and  ingenuity  of  the  Messrs.  Morrison  (Richard  and 
William),  two  architects  who  lived  at  Walcot,  near  Bray,  and  were 
extensively  employed  in  works  of  a  Mediaeval  character.  They 
restored  Kilcuddy  Hall,  and  executed  facades  of  Shelton  Abbey  for 
Lord  Wicklow.  They  also  built  Ballyleigh  Castle,  Kerry,  the  seat 
of  Colonel  James  Crosbie,  M.P.  The  latter  was  a  very  creditable 
performance,  and  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  by  which  it  is  surrounded 
contributed  no  little  to  its  effect. 

Having  briefly  examined  some  of  the  chief  examples  of  Pointed 
architecture  which  were  designed  in  the  early  part  of  this  century,  under 
the  patronage  or  direction  of  those  from  whom  the  Revival  received 
especial  encouragement,  let  us  now  turn  to  another  source  of  impulse 
which  helped  the  same  cause,  viz.,  the  archaeological  literature  of  the 
day.  In  the  consideration  of  this  subject,  one  name  stands  pre- 
eminently forward,  the  name  of  an  extraordinarily  prolific  writer,  who,  if 
he  did  not  possess  a  high  order  of  genius,  was  distinguished  for  his 
indomitable  industry,  and  for  the  zeal  which  enabled  him,  year  after 
year,  to  contribute  to  the  press  the  results  of  his  research  during  a 
period  which  extended  far  beyond  the  limits  of  ordinary  authorship — a 
name  which,  in  the  history  of  art,  connects  at  least  four  generations,  for 
it  belonged  to  one  who  was  a  young  man  when  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds 
still  wielded  his  brush,  but  who  lived  to  see  Eastlake  president  of  the 
Royal  Academy. 

John  Britton  was  born  at  Kingtown,  near  Sodbury,  in  177 1,  and 
died  in  London  exactly  fourteen  years  ago.  In  addition  to  a  list  of 
nearly  seventy  works,  of  more  or  less  importance,  whose  titles  may  be 


B  n't  toil's  Early  Life.  8 


read  in  the  British  Museum  catalogue,  he  has  left  behind  him  an  auto- 
biography, which  he  did  not  live  to  complete,  but  which  was  published 
after  his  death.  What  length  that  memoir  would  have  assumed,  in  a 
finished  state,  may  be  inferred  from  a  perusal  of  its  present  contents. 
It  is  impossible  to  read  the  first  few  pages  without  coming  to  a  conclu- 
sion that  the  author  had  kept  a  diary  since  he  had  learned  to  write,  and 
intended  to  publish  the  whole  of  it  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Indeed, 
though  this  intention,  if  it  ever  existed,  was  never  carried  out,  a  more 
diffuse  and  erratic  narrative  never  issued  from  the  press.  Amidst  his 
numerous  good  qualities,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  author  had  one 

failino- vanity,  and  to  this  fact  we  may  attribute  the  unnecessary  care 

with  which  he  chronicles  the  details  of  his  early  life.     He  begins  with 
a  description  of  his  native  village,  which  alone  occupies  some  pages — 
gives  us  the  character  of  his  father,  the  caprices  of  his  uncle — relates 
how  he  fell  out  of  a  bedroom  window,    and   was  raked   out  of   the 
squire's  fishpond — tells  us  what  he  drew  on  his  slate   at  school,  and 
what  became  of  all  his  schoolfellows — gravely  reports  that  he  once  made 
a  large  snowball,  which  rolled  down  hill  and  made  a   breach   in   some 
garden  wall.      The  most   trivial  and  unimportant    incidents,  in  short, 
which  help  to  vary  the  monotony  of  schoolboy   life,  he   records  with 
something  like  schoolboy  pride  ;  but  these  may  be  at  once  passed  over. 
On  October  25,  1785,  he  set  out  with  his  uncle  for  London,  where 
young  Britton  was  at  length  apprenticed  to   Mr.  Mendham,  a  wine 
merchant,  by  whom  he  was  initiated  into   the   mysteries  of  the  trade. 
His  time  was  chiefly  employed  in  bottling  and  corking,  an  occupation 
which  he  soon  began  to  feel  was  beneath  his  abilities,  and  which  led  him 
to  regard  even  the  occasional  visits  of  excisemen  as  a  pleasant  relief. 
The  house  of  business  where  he  laboured  in  this  humble  capacity  was 
known  as  the  Jerusalem  Chambers,  Clerkenwell.     He  appears  to  have 
been   in  the   habit  of  rising  early,  and   taking  walks  into  the  suburbs 
before  the  hours  of  work.     In  one  of  these  excursions,  he  fell  in  with  a 
man  named   Essex,  who  painted  figures   on  watch   faces,   and   having 

G 


82  Early  Literary  Efforts. 


struck  up  an  acquaintance  with  him,  was  introduced  to  Brayley,  who 
at  that  time  was  also  an  enamel  painter,  but  who  afterwards  became  asso- 
ciated with  Britton  in  the  publication  of  several  topographical  works. 
They    composed   and  published  between   them    a    song   called  f  The 

Guinea-pig ' intended  as  a  satire  on  the  powder  tax.     It  was  Britton's 

first  published  work,  and  years  afterwards  he  flattered  himself  that  a  time 
might  come  when  it  would  be  regarded  with  curiosity. 

In  the  course  of  time  a  love  adventure  with  Mrs.  Mendham's  lady's 
maid  caused  him  to  run  away  from  his  employer,  and  follow  the  object 
of  his  affections  into  Devonshire,  where,  however,  he  became  disen- 
chanted, and  after  vainly  endeavouring  to  get  employment  at  Bath,  he 
returned  to  town  on  foot.  Here  fortune  so  far  smiled  on  him  as  to 
permit  his  filling  the  post  of  cellarman  at  the  London  Tavern,  and  he 
afterwards  obtained  a  similar  situation  with  a  hop-merchant's  widow, 
who  allowed  him  40/.  a  year  and  his  breakfast.  About  this  time  his 
ambition  led  him  to  frequent  the  third-rate  debating  societies  and 
spouting  clubs  with  which  the  metropolis  then  abounded,  and  this  helped 
him  to  form  new  acquaintances,  by  whose  assistance  he  at  length 
became  engaged  as  a  lawyer's  clerk  to  Mr.  Simpson,  an  attorney,  at  a 
salary  of  fifteen  shillings  a  week.  On  the  death  of  his  master,  he 
entered  the  service  of  Messrs.  Parker  and  Wix,  solicitors,  whose  prac- 
tice was  not  so  extensive  as  to  prevent  Britton  from  finding  time  to 
read — an  opportunity  of  which  he  was  only  too  ready  to  avail  himself. 

In  1799  he  was  hired  by  a  Mr.  Chapman  to  write,  sing,  and  recite 
for  him  at  a  theatre  in  Panton  Street,  Haymarket,  where  he  received 
three  guineas  a  week.  This  led  to  an  acquaintance  with  Lonsdale, 
manager  of  Sadler's  Wells,  at  whose  house  he  met  Dibdin,  Grimaldi, 
and  the  famous  Egyptian  traveller  and  antiquary,  Belzoni,  who,  strange 
to  say,  was  at  that  time  performing  as  an  acrobat  in  London  theatres.* 

'•'  Belzoni  was  six  feet  six  inches  high  and  proportionably  muscular.  He  was  a  native 
of  Italy,  and  had  received  an  education  for  the  priesthood  Having  saved  some  money,  he 
sailed  for  Egypt,  where  he  so  pleased  the  Pasha  by  some  mechanical  invention  that  he 
obtained  permission  to  open  the  pyramid  of  Gizeh  and  several  tombs  at  Thebes.  We  are 
indebted  to  his  7.cal  for  many  valuable  relics  of  antiquity  now  in  the  British  Museum. 


'  The  Beauties  of  Wiltshire!  83 


Britton's  first  literary  efforts  were  of  the  humblest  description.  He 
was  tempted  by  the  great  success  of  one  of  Sheridan's  plays  (translated 
and  altered  from  the  German  of  Kotzebue)  to  write  a  romance,  entitled 
c  The  enterprising  Adventures  of  Pizarro.'  For  this  performance  he 
received  ten  pounds.  The  most  valuable  of  his  early  friends  and 
patrons  was  Wheble,  who  induced  him  to  begin  those  topographical 
researches  of  which  the  world  first  saw  a  result  in  his  c  Beauties  of 
Wiltshire.' 

His  first  expedition  is  thus  described  : — 

With  maps,  a  pocket-compass,  a  small  camera  obscura  (for  the  more  portable 
and  simple  camera  luc'ida  was  not  then  known),  two  or  three  portable  volumes, 
an  umbrella,  and  a  scanty  packet  of  body  linen,  &c,  I  commenced  a  walk  from 
London,  on  June  20,  and  returned  again  to  it  on  September  30.  During  that 
excursion,  I  visited  Oxford,  Woodstock,  Stratford-upon-Avon,  Warwick, 
Kenilworth,  Birmingham,  Hagley,  'the  Leasowes,'  and  Church  Stretton. 
Thence  I  made  diverging  excursions  to  Shrewsbury,  Welsh  Pool,  and  several 
other  places  within  twenty  miles  of  my  residence,  and  returned  through 
Ludlow,  Leominster,  Hereford,  Ross,  down  the  Wye  to  Chepstow,  to  Bristol, 
and  Bath  ;  thence  to  several  parts  of  Wiltshire,  and  back  to  London.  This 
long  and  toilsome,  but  eminently  interesting  and  attractive  journey,  cost  me  only 
11/.  165.  0//.  I  was  compelled  to  practise  economy,  for  my  finances  were  low, 
and  I  knew  not  how  or  where  to  recruit  them.  My  sister  kindly  presented  me 
with  5/.,  and  her  good  husband  lent  me  ten  more,  which  seemed  to  me  a  fortune. 

f  The  Beauties  of  Wiltshire'  met  with  such  commercial  success,  that 
Britton,  in  conjunction  with  his  friend  and  fellow-worker  Brayley,  was 
employed  on  the  more  extensive  work  which  followed  or  rather  deve- 
loped from  it.  '  The  Beauties  of  England  and  Wales  '  formed  a  series 
of  eighteen  volumes,  which  were  published  between  1800  and  18  16,  and 
contained  c  original  delineations,  topographical,  historical,  and  descrip- 
tive of  each  county.'  They  included  about  700  engravings  of  mansions, 
views,  &c.  Some  of  the  woodcuts  were  by  Bewick,  and  worthy  of  that 
master;  but,  as  a  rule,  the  illustrations  were  poor,  and  of  a  kind  which 

G  2 


84  'The  Antiquities  of  Great  Britain.' 


will  not  bear  comparison  with  those  given  In  Britton's  later  works. 
Britton  himself  when  he  began  his  literary  career  knew  little  of  archi- 
tecture, and  thus  in  c  The  Beauties  of  Wiltshire,'  while  the  tombs  and 
painted  glass  in  the  churches  which  he  visited  are  fully  described,  the 
buildings  themselves  inspire  him  only  with  that  vague  admiration  which 
results  from  uneducated  taste. 

But  Britton  was  not  a  man  to  be  easily  discouraged.  He  soon  began 
to  qualify  himself  for  the  pursuit  which  he  had  chosen.  In  1803  he 
had  attained  sufficient  skill  with  the  pencil  to  produce  his  '  Drawings  of 
Stonehenge,'  and  in  1805  he  began  a  more  important  work,  'The 
Architectural  Antiquities  of  Great  Britain,'  which  appeared  in  forty 
parts,  and  made  four  quarto  volumes,  the  last  bearing  date  18 14,  and 
a  fifth  being  added  in  1818.  They  were  illustrated  with  nearly  three 
hundred  plates,  after  drawings  by  various  artists,  among  whom  were 
Turner,  Cattermole,  and  Westall,  but  by  far  the  best  are  those  which 
were  engraved  by  Le  Keux  from  drawings  by  Mackenzie,  and  which 
will  be  easily  recognised  by  the  care  and  delicacy  of  their  execution.* 

The  work  included  many  examples  of  ancient  domestic,  as  well  as 
ecclesiastical  English  architecture.  Abbeys,  priories,  castles,  with  an 
occasional  view  of  a  cathedral,  or  the  details  of  some  remarkable  build- 
ing— such  as  Crosby  Hall — were  delineated  for  the  first  time  with 
something  like  accuracy,  as  well  as  artistic  power,  and  in  many  cases 
the  ichnography  of  buildings — so  essential  to  the  student — was  added. 

In  1813  Britton  published  a  description  of  St.  Mary  Redcliffe 
Church,  at  Bristol,  to  which  he  appended  an  essay  on  the  life  and 
writings  of  Chatterton,  and  in  18 14  he  began  his  most  important  work, 
f  The  Cathedral  Antiquities  of  Great  Britain.'  The  letterpress  which 
accompanies  this  series  bears  evidence  of  great  research  on  the  part 
of  its  author,  who  spared  neither  time  nor  pains  to  collect  material. 
Besides  a  description  of  the  buildings  themselves,  which  he  was  by  this 

*  Portions  of  the  text  in  this,  and  some  other  publications  by  Britton,  were  from  the 
pen  of  Mr.  E.  J.  Willson,  F.S.A.,  of  Lincoln. 


Brit  fan's  '  Cathedral  Antiquities'  85 


time  fully  competent  to  give,  he  adds  a  vast  quantity  of  information 
regarding  their  history  and  foundations,  with  anecdotes  and  brief 
memoirs  of  the  principal  dignitaries  of  the  Church  who  were  from  time 
to  time  associated  with  them.  As  may  be  supposed,  the  c  Monasti- 
con  Anglicanum '  is  constantly  quoted  by  him,  but,  in  addition  to  this 
work,  he  consulted  Sumner,  Batteley,  Godwin's  Catalogue  of  English 
Bishops,  and  a  host  of  other  authorities. 

The  original  edition  appeared  in  fourteen  parts,  the  illustrations  of 
the  earlier  numbers  being  executed  by  Britton's  old  fellow-workers 
Mackenzie  and  Le  Keux,  who  had  now  attained  a  perfection  in  their 
peculiar  branch  of  art  which  had  not  hitherto  been  reached,  and  has 
since  been  scarcely  surpassed.  It  is  indeed  to  be  regretted  that  all  the 
plates  were  not  entrusted  to  their  hands.  It  will  be  no  detraction  from 
the  merit  of  Cattermole  to  say  that  his  acknowledged  excellence  as  a 
water-colour  artist  unfitted  him  for  the  less  dignified  labour,  but  nicer 
accuracy,  of  an  architectural  draughtsman.  He  could  throw  an  effect 
upon  the  view  of  a  ruin  with  perhaps  greater  skill  than  Mackenzie,  but 
for  refinement,  perspicuity,  and  attention  to  detail,  especially  in  outline 
views,  Mackenzie  distanced  every  one. 

Perhaps  the  least  satisfactory  of  the  cathedral  series,  in  regard  to 
illustration,  is  the  one  on  Bristol,  in  which  a  great  falling  off  is  notice- 
able in  the  execution  of  the  plates.  The  careful  hand  of  Le  Keux 
redeemed  some  from  the  charge  of  slovenliness,  but  in  many  those 
qualities  are  wanting  which  should  render  such  works  of  value  to  the 
architectural  student.* 

*  The  cathedral  series  appeared  in  the  following  order : — 


Salisbury- 

1814 

Bath  Abbey 

.     1825 

Norwich 

1816 

Exeter 

.     1826 

Winchester . 

1817 

Peterborough 

.      1828 

York 

1819 

Gloucester  . 

.      1829 

Lichfield 

1820 

Bristol 

.      1830 

Canterbury . 

1821 

Hereford     . 

.     1831 

Oxford 

.      1821 

Worcester  . 

•      ^35 

Wells 

.      1824 

86  The  'Antiquities  of  Normandy! 


In  1827,  Pugin  and  Le  Keux  brought  out  their  'Specimens  of  the 
Architectural  Antiquities  of  Normandy/  for  which  Britton,  who  acted 
as  their  publisher,  supplied  the  descriptive  text.  This  work  is  in 
one  quarto  volume,  and  contains  illustrations  of  the  Caen  churches,  of 
Bayeux  Cathedral,  the  Hotel  de  Bourgtheroulde,  and  Abbey  of  St. 
Amand,  Rouen,  with  views  of  various  churches  at  Caudebeck,  Caen, 
Vancelles,  and  Dieppe.  The  original  drawings  were  either  executed 
by  the  elder  Pugin  himself,  or  prepared  under  his  immediate  superin- 
tendence. They  were  exceedingly  careful,  and  have  been  admirably 
engraved  by  Le  Keux.  The  letterpress  is  very  useful  in  its  way,  and, 
as  Britton  takes  care  to  tell  us,  was  printed  and  published  as  a 
separate  work. 

Meanwhile  our  author  did  not  confine  his  labours  to  the  produc- 
tion of  these  volumes.  His  c  Fine  Arts  of  the  English  School,  with 
Biographical  and  Critical  Descriptions,  illustrated  by  engravings  after 
Reynolds,  Flaxman,  Westall,  Romney,  Nollekens,  Northcote,  West, 
etc.,'  appeared  in  1812.  In  1830  he  brought  out  his  'Picturesque 
Views  of  English  Cities,'  a  quarto  volume  copiously  illustrated.  c  A  Dic- 
tionary of  the  Architecture  and  Archaeology  of  the. Middle  Ages'  was 
compiled  by  him,  and  published  in  1838,  with  illustrations  by  Le  Keux. 
It  will  be  unnecessary  to  mention  a  host  of  minor  works,  of  which 
he  was  either  joint  author,  editor,  or  publisher.  For  the  space  of  half 
a  century  his  pen  was  continually  active,  and  it  may  be  safely  said  that 
he  did  more  to  promote  the  due  appreciation  of  Mediaeval  Art  than 
any  contemporary  writer. 

His  long  association  with  architecture,  and  with  men  who  adopted 
its  profession,  prompted  him  more  than  once  in  his  life  to  try  his  hand 
at  design.  His  sketch  for  a  monument  to  Chatterton,  of  which  an 
illustration  is  given  in  his  life,  might  provoke  the  ridicule  of  our 
modern  architects  ;  but  the  plans  which  he  submitted  in  competition 
for  the  Nelson  cenotaph,  though  by  no  means  realising  our  present 
notions  of  Gothic,  are  far  from  contemptible;   and,  if  we  remember  the 


Brit  ton's  Autobiography.  87 


time  when  they  were  prepared  (1839),  probably  represented  the  average 
ability  of  his  day.  It  is,  however,  but  fair  to  state  that  in  the  latter 
work  he  availed  himself  of  the  services  of  Mr.  W.  Hoskintr,  to  whose 
care,  if  the  design  had  been  successful,  its  execution  would  have  been 
committed.  Neither  in  this  case,  however,  nor  in  that  of  the  Chatterton 
memorial,  were  Britton's  suggestions  adopted. 

The  materials  of  his  autobiography  are  diffuse  and  scattered.  He 
seems  to  have  followed  no  regular  plan  in  its  compilation.  It  is 
wanting  in  chronological  sequence.  If  he  is  describing  a  town  as  he 
saw  it  in  18  14,  he  is  reminded  of  some  circumstance  which  occurred 
there  when  he  revisited  it  in  1840,  and  forthwith  the  two  epochs  are 
jumbled  together.  In  his  youth  he  made  many  acquaintances,  of 
whom  he  writes  at  full  length.  He  saw  many  other  people  whose  life 
and  characters  he  finds  it  necessary  to  touch  upon.  Those  he  only- 
heard  of  are  still  more  numerous  ;  yet,  about  these,  too,  he  has  something 
to  say.  Meanwhile,  though  he  is  prolix  on  the  subject  of  his  infancy, 
he  gives  us  little  or  no  information  of  his  life  as  a  man.  We  know 
however,  that  his  services  in  the  cause  of  art  became  gradually  and 
steadily  appreciated.  He  who  began  his  London  career  as  a  humble 
cellarman,  lived  to  be  feted  and  honoured  by  those  who  had  themselves 
grown  famous  in  the  world.* 

The  rapidity  with  which  Britton  wrote,  the  occasional  inaccuracy  of 
his  pen,  and  perhaps,  too,  the  very  success  which  he  achieved,  have 
laid  him  open  to  the  charge  which  is  often  brought  against  men  who, 
without  aspiring  to  the  higher  departments  of  literature,  accept  author- 
ship as  a  business  and  means  of  livelihood,  and  cater  for  public  enter- 

*  The  last  proof-sheets  of  his  autobiography  were  sent  to  the  printer  on  December  2, 
1856,  with  an  intimation  that  Mr.  Britton  would  rest  for  a  day  or  two  before  he  resumed 
his  work.  He  was  destined  never  to  resume  it.  On  the  4th  of  the  same  month,  he  was 
taken  ill  with  bronchitis,  a  disorder  to  which  he  was  subject,  and  from  which  he  now  felt 
that  he  should  not  recover.  He  sent  for  his  old  friend  Le  Keux,  and  gave  him  some  last 
instructions  about  certain  prints  and  drawings  which  he  desired  should  be  sold.  He  died 
at  last,  we  are  told,  peacefully  and  with  resignation. 


88  Pugin  and  IVillsou. 

tainment  or  information  as  c  book-makers.'  But  granting  that  Britton 
belonged  to  this  class  of  writers,  it  may  safely  be  urged  that  he  did 
more  service  to  the  cause  of  the  Gothic  Revival  in  such  a  capacity  than 
he  could  have  rendered  in  any  other.  Before  a  national  taste  can  be 
made  effective  it  must  be  instructed,  and  before  it  is  instructed  it  must 
be  created.  Britton  himself  was  of  course  no  designer.  He  did  not 
even  attempt  to  teach  what  good  design  ought  to  be.  But  for  many 
years  he  supplied  the  public  with  illustrations  and  descriptions  of  ancient 
English  architecture  which  had  previously  been  familiar  to  the  anti- 
quary alone.  He  helped,  and  successfully  helped,  to  secure  for 
Mediaeval  remains  that  kind  of  interest  which  a  sense  of  the  picturesque 
and  a  respect  for  historical  associations  are  most  likely  to  create. 

While  Britton  was  thus  enlisting  the  sympathies  of  the  amateur 
world,  two  architects  were  engaged  in  preparing  a  practical  and  valu- 
able work  for  the  use  of  professional  students.  The  examples  of 
Gothic  architecture  which  had  hitherto  been  selected  for  publication, 
were  chiefly  those  which  either  served  to  illustrate  a  principle  in  the 
history  of  the  style,  or  possessed  some  picturesque  attractions  in  the 
way  of  general  effect.  But  neither  of  these  were  of  real  service  to  the 
practical  architect,  who  required  geometrical  and  carefully  measured 
drawings  of  ancient  roofs,  doors,  and  windows  to  guide  him  in  his 
designs,  and  to  help  him  in  reviving  a  style  the  details  of  which  had 
been  as  yet  most  imperfectly  studied.  Pugin  and  Willson's  { Speci- 
mens of  Gothic  Architecture  '  supplied  this  want.  It  was  a  happy 
accident  which  brought  these  men  together — the  one  eminently  quali- 
fied as  a  draughtsman  for  the  task,  the  other  equally  fitted  to  under- 
take its  literary  labour. 

For  the  first  time  the  structural  glories  of  Westminster  Hall  were 
revealed  with  mathematical  nicety  ;  the  graceful  mouldings  of  York 
and  Lincoln  were  accurately  profiled  on  a  large  and  intelligible  scale; 
the  towers  and  gateways  of  Oxford  were  measured  with  scrupulous 
care.       Many  an   oriel   window   and  groined   porch,  many   a  canopied 


The  '  Specimens  of  Got  hie  Architecture!  89 

tomb  and  flying  buttress,  the  proportions  of  which  had  been  simply 
guessed  at  by  those  who  endeavoured  to  imitate  its  design,  was  now 
transferred  to  paper,  line  for  line,  with  every  dimension  clearly  nVured, 
with  every  feature  separately  dissected  and  explained. 

Instead  of  the  vague  and  frequently  inaccurate  sketches  of  ancient 
tracery  and  groining  which  had  previously  been  published,  we  find  in 
this  work  plans  and  sections  of  stone  vaulting  and  elevations  of  windows 
drawn  out  with  the  utmost  care,  the  radius  and  centre  of  every  seg- 
mental curve  ascertained,  and  the  '  mitering '  of  every  junction  clearly 
shown.  The  individual  character  of  c  cusping,'  once  considered,  if  we 
may  judge  from  early  illustrations,  a  matter  of  little  moment,  is  here 
rendered  with  singular  fidelity.  The  same  may  be  said  of  crockets, 
finials,  and  decorative  panelling. 

The  advantage  of  all  this  to  the  professional  designer  was  immense. 
The  time  had  not  yet  arrived  when  architects,  engaged  in  any  impor- 
tant practice,  thought  it  worth  while  to  measure  and  study  for  them- 
selves the  relics  of  Mediaeval  architecture ;  still  less  had  they  reached 
that  sort  of  skill  which  would  have  enabled  them  to  design  in  the 
spirit  of  ancient  art  without  absolutely  reproducing  its  details.  In  this 
dilemma  they  had  copied  after  a  rough  and  ready  fashion,  and  their 
copies  were  contemptible.  But  now,  by  simply  turning  over  the 
leaves  of  a  convenient  volume,  they  were  enabled  for  the  first  time  to 
enrich  their  designs,  and  perhaps  in  some  instances  to  work  them  out 
as  a  whole,  from  '  Specimens '  which  were  unimpeachably  correct  in 
style. 

The  consequence  may  be  easily  imagined.  An  age  of  ignorance 
was  succeeded  by  an  age  of  plagiarism.  If  an  architect  wanted  a  spire 
for  his  new  church,  there  was  that  of  St.  Mary's  at  Oxford  drawn  to 
scale  and  ready  for  imitation.  If  a  Gothic  monument  was  to  be 
raised  in  the  same  edifice,  the  altar  tombs  of  Westminster  Abbey, 
engraved  in  Pugin  and  Willson's  book,  supplied  a  series  of  examples 
for  selection.      The  details  of  Crosby  Hall,  of  Hampton  Court,  and  of 


9<d  The  Age  of  Plagiarism. 

Eton  College  were    adapted    for    many    a    modern    country  mansion. 
The  oriels  of  Lincoln  Palace  were  revived  in  St.  John's  Wood. 

This  was  by  no  means  a  satisfactory  state  of  things,  but  it  was  better 
than  that  by  which  it  had  been  preceded.  Faithful  copies  of  old  work 
were  at  least  more  tolerable  than  bungling  attempts  at  original  design. 
And  it  was  simply  impossible  for  modern  architects  to  originate  success- 
ful designs  in  Gothic,  until  they  had  learned  to  appreciate  the  value  of 
proportion,  and  had  mastered  the  grammar  of  detail  in  ancient  examples. 
'  The  Specimens  of  Gothic  Architecture  *  helped  their  studies  in  an 
eminent  degree,  and  perhaps  not  less  by  the  carefully  written  and  well- 
arranged  text  than  by  the  illustrations  which  formed  the  bulk  of  the 
volume.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  Mr.  Willson's  share  in  the  preparation 
of  this  work  has  never  been  thoroughly  appreciated.  But  it  must  be 
evident  to  all  who  read  his  descriptions  of  the  plates,  and  the  intro- 
ductory essays  which  preface  each  volume,  that  he  was  thoroughly 
master  of  his  subject,  both  in  its  antiquarian  and  artistic  aspect.  Pugin's 
own  reputation  was  considerable,  but  it  was  destined  to  be  far  eclipsed 
by  that  of  his  son,  whose  career  and  works  will  be  described  in  due 
course. 


A  Retrospect.  91 


CHAPTER    VI. 

[HE  publication  of  practical  and  accurately  illustrated  books 
in  Gothic  Architecture  may  be  considered  as  the  main 
turning-point  in  the  progress  of  the  Revival,  and  for 
obvious  reasons  it  is  necessary  to  measure  by  a  very  different  standard 
the  artistic  merits  of  work  executed  before  and  after  this  great  assist- 
ance had  been  afforded  to  professional  designers.  We  must  also  bear 
in  mind  the  important  influence  brought  to  bear  upon  the  movement 
by  a  gradually  increasing  conviction  that  our  churches  and  other 
national  relics  of  the  Middle  Ages  ought  not  only  to  be  kept  in  a  state 
of  repair,  but  also  to  be  f  restored '  or  c  improved '  as  occasion  might 
warrant. 

To  realise  what  this  then  meant,  and  what  it  afterwards  came  to 
mean,  it  may  be  advisable  to  turn  back  a  little  in  our  History. 

If,  in  the  last  century,  an  architect,  led  by  any  rare  instinct  of  indi- 
vidual taste  or  by  any  accidental  circumstances,  devoted  his  attention  to 
Mediaeval  Art  with  a  view  to  its  adaptation  for  a  modern  work,  he 
was  obliged  to  rely  almost  entirely  on  the  advice  and  assistance  of  the 
antiquaries.  James  Essex,  who  was  born  at  Cambridge  and  was  brought 
up  with  a  boyish  admiration  for  King's  College  Chapel,  may  perhaps 
have  been  an  exception  to  the  rule.  But  it  is  probable  that  his  friendship 
with  Bentham,  who  had  employed  him,  as  a  young  man,  to  prepare 
illustrations  for  the  famous  c  History  of  Ely  '  (already  mentioned),  exer- 
cised no  small  influence  on  his  early  predilections. 

In  those  days  there  was  little  or  no  scope  for  an  architect  with 
mediaeval  tendencies  except  in  the  way  of  restoration.  The  choir  of 
Ely  Cathedral  was  altered  under  his  direction  in  1770,  and  during  a 


92  J- 'amcs  Essex. 


period  of  some  twenty  years  he  superintended  very  extensive  repairs  in 
the  same  building.  He  was  afterwards  employed  on  similar  work  at 
Lincoln  Minster,  where  he  erected  a  stone  reredos,  and  at  King's  College 
Chapel,  for  the  east  end  of  which  he  designed  a  stone  screen.  The 
Memorial  Cross  at  Ampthill  may  be  mentioned  as  another  of  his  works. 
He  also  enlarged  and  repaired  the  ancient  mansion  of  Madingley,  which 
is  well  known  to  Cambridge  men  of  our  own  time  as  the  residence 
selected  for  the  Prince  of  Wales  while  he  remained  at  the  University. 
He  repaired  the  Tower  of  Winchester  Cathedral,  and  carried  out  what 
were  then  called  c  improvements '  at  Merton  and  Balliol  Colleges, 
Oxford.  Some  of  these  were  important  works  in  their  way,  and,  no 
doubt,  led  to  many  others  which  were  subsequently  undertaken  under 
the  plea  of  '  restoration.'  Essex  may  be  fairly  described  as  the  first 
professional  architect  of  the  last  century  who  made  a  study  of  Gothic. 
But  he  was  far  from  a  thorough  appreciation  of  its  merits.1* 

At  the  time  that  Essex  died  (1784),  James  Wyatt  had,  in  the 
opinion  of  contemporary  critics,  just  established  his  reputation  as  a 
Gothic  architect  by  the  remodelling  of  Mr.  Barrett's  house  at  Lee, 
which  has  been  already  mentioned,  and  which  won  the  admiration  of 
Horace  Walpole.     In  one  of  Lord  Orford's  letters  (1782)  he  says: — 


I  have  seen,  over  and  over  again,  Mr.  Barrett's  plans,  and  approve  them 
exceedingly.  The  Gothic  parts  are  classic  :  you  must  consider  the  whole  as 
Gothic,  modernised  in  parts — not  as  what  it  is,  the  reverse.  Mr.  Wyatt,  if 
more  employed  in  that  style,  will  show  as  much  taste  and  imagination  as  he 
does  in  Grecian. 

And  again,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Barrett  himself,  he  admits  the  defects 
of  Strawberry  Hill,  and  adds,  '  My  house  was  but  a  sketch  by 
beginners  :   yours  is  finished  by  a  great  master.' 

It  is  stated  that,  while  professionally  engaged  on  the  works  at  Ely  Cathedral,  Essex 
advised  the  destruction  of  the  Galilee  and  South-west  transept,  as  being  '  neither  useful 
nor  ornamental  '  and  '  not  worth  preserving.' 


y antes  JVyatt.  93 


Posterity,  judging  from  Wyatt's  later  works,  as  for  instance  the 
Military  Academy  at  Woolwich,  his  alterations  of  Windsor  Castle,  and 
his  design  for  the  (old)  House  of  Lords,  will  scarcely  feel  inclined  to 
confirm  this  opinion,  or  indeed  to  regard  him  in  the  light  of  a  master  at 
all.  But  the  lapse  of  a  century  has  brought  about  a  great  revolution 
in  public  taste,  and  with  it  a  deeper  study  of  Mediaeval  Art. 

No  English  architect  has  perhaps  been  so  much  overrated  by  his 
friends,  or  so  unfairly  abused  by  his  enemies,  as  James  Wyatt.  It  is 
probable  that  both  praise  and  blame  were  honestly  given,  but  neither 
his  admirers  nor  his  maligners  have  done  him  thorough  justice.  Raised 
by  private  interest  and  the  caprice  of  public  taste  to  be  the  fashionable 
architect  of  his  day — loaded  with  commissions  from  every  quarter, 
patronised  by  Bagot  and  flattered  by  Walpole — it  is  no  wonder  that  this 
highly  favoured  and  fortunate  gentleman  not  only  believed  himself  to 
be  a  great  architect,  but  induced  the  world  to  think  so  too.  The 
country  squires  who  sent  for  him  to  embellish  their  family  seats,  the 
Oxford  dons  who  allowed  him  to  pull  down  and  rebuild  the  ancient 
colleges  of  their  University,  the  Deans  and  Chapters  who  committed  our 
noble  cathedrals  to  his  notions  of  improvement  and  restoration,  never 
stopped  to  inquire  what  qualifications  he  had  for  the  several  tasks 
which  he  only  too  readily  undertook,  or  what  amount  of  personal 
supervision  he  could  afford  to  allot  to  each.  It  was  sufficient  for  these 
illustrious  patrons  and  reverend  dilettanti  to  know  that  Mr.  Wyatt 
was  the  c  eminent'  architect  of  their  day.  Artistic  reputation  has  a 
rapidly  accumulative  quality.  Everybody  had  employed  him,  and 
therefore  everybody  continued  to  do  so.  It  would  almost  have  been 
bad  ton  to  seek  for  assistance  elsewhere.  Other  practitioners  might 
have  his  ability,  but  who  had  heard  of  them  ?  In  consulting  a  person 
of  Mr.  Wyatt's  reputation,  the  world  of  fashion  thought  it  wras  quite 
safe. 

At  first  sight  this  seems  reasonable  enough.  The  most  distinguished 
physician  of  his  day  will  always  command,  and  has  a  right  to  command, 


94  Wyatfs  Professional  Practice. 


the  most  extensive  practice.  The  most  noted  counsel  will  get  the 
most  briefs.  The  most  popular  preacher  will  attract  the  largest 
congregations.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  in  the  consulting 
room,  in  the  law  court,  and  the  pulpit  we  can  at  least  secure  the 
personal  presence  and  individual  talent  of  our  favourite  doctor,  lawyer, 
or  divine. 

In  the  field  of  architectural  practice  it  is  different.  The  mere  name  of 
an  architect  goes  a  great  way.  The  rest  is  a  matter  of  conscience.  A 
man  may  throw  his  whole  energy  into  the  work  on  which  he  happens 
to  be  employed,  or  he  may  satisfy  himself  and  his  employers  by 
occasional  visits.  He  may  bring  all  his  inventive  power  and  skill  to 
bear  upon  the  design,  or  he  may  simply  hand  over  a  slight  sketch  to  be 
worked  out  entirely  by  his  assistants,  in  short,  he  may  make  an  art 
of  his  calling,  or  he  may  make  it  a  mere  business ;  and  in  proportion 
as  he  inclines  to  one  or  the  other  of  these  two  extremes,  he  will 
generally  achieve  present  profit  or  posthumous  renown. 

If  Wyatt  did  not  make  a  fortune  by  his  profession,  it  was  certainly 
from  no  undue  prominence  of  artistic  feeling.  His  practice  was  large 
and  lucrative.  His  designs  do  not  seem  to  have  given  him  any  very 
great  trouble  to  prepare.  It  is  recorded  that  many  of  them  were 
improvised  and  even  executed  in  his  travelling  carriage  as  he  rolled 
along  the  road  to  his  country  clients.  He  was  a  great  man  in  his  way, 
and  no  doubt  a  pencil  sketch  by  Mr.  Wyatt  was  thought  more 
valuable  than  a  whole  set  of  working  drawings  prepared  by  an  inferior 
hand.  Can  we  blame  him  if,  when  commissions  poured  in  upon  him 
from  every  side,  he  accepted  them  all,  dashed  off  his  notions  upon 
paper,  left  them  to  be  realised  by  his  subordinates,  and  took  no  pains 
to  consider  and  revise  them,  lest  he  should  meanwhile  be  losing 
another  job  ?  If  this  sort  of  practice  is  to  be  condemned,  let  us  call  it 
the  fault,  not  of  the  overworked  architect,  but  of  the  public  who  insist 
on  giving  him  more  than  he  can  possibly  manage,  with  credit  to  him- 
self, to  undertake.     The  very  extent  of  Wyatt's  professional  employ- 


Wyatfs  'Improvements'  95 


ment  must  have  left  him  little  or  no  leisure  for  the  study  of  ancient 
examples  ;  and  the  consequence  was  that,  in  instances  where  he  ought  to 
have  Jed,  or  at  least  to  have  tempered  and  corrected  the  vitiated  taste  of 
his  day,  he  simply  pandered  to  it.  So  long  as  this  was  confined  to  the 
design  of  modern  mansions,  no  great  harm  was  done.  The  present 
inheritors  of  many  a  country  house  erected  under  his  instructions  may 
indeed  deplore  the  ignorance  of  their  grandsires  in  adopting  a  style  of 
architecture  which  is  c  Gothic '  only  in  the  original  and  contemptuous 
sense  of  the  word.  It  may  have  brought  discredit  on  the  cause  of  the 
Revival,  and  to  some  extent  retarded  its  progress.  Still,  it  involved  no 
national  loss ;  it  inflicted  no  positive  injury  on  the  nobler  and  purer 
works  of  a  previous  age.  But  when  our  fair  English  churches  and 
venerable  colleges  were  committed,  one  after  another,  to  Wyatt's  care, 
when  he  was  invested  with  full  power  not  only  to  restore  but  to  alter 
and  c  improve '  these  ancient  structures,  the  result  was  melancholy 
indeed.  Durham,  Winchester,  Salisbury,  and  too  many  other  cathedrals 
bore  for  a  long  while,  and  in  some  cases  still  bear,  painful  evidence  of 
his  presumption  or  ignorance.  And  even  in  cases  where  a  later  and 
more  educated  taste  has  removed  his  ill-devised  additions,  and  replaced 
features  which  he  was  permitted  to  destroy,  one  cannot  help  feeling 
that  such  repairs,  however  well-intentioned  and  skilfully  executed  can 
never  make  the  building  what  it  was,  or  satisfactorily  realise  the  spirit 
of  its  original  design. 

The  Revival  of  the  Pointed  style,  for  ecclesiastical  and  other  build- 
ings in  this  country,  has  led  in  our  own  day  to  a  question  on  which  the 
mediasvalists  are  divided  against  themselves.  Happily  for  their  cause 
England  is  still  rich  in  examples  of  a  school  of  art  which,  after  three 
centuries  of  neglect  and  contumely,  has  been  hailed  as  one  eminently 
fitted  by  grace,  convenience,  and  national  characteristics  for  modern 
readoption.  But  though  these  venerable  monuments  have  survived 
as  it  were,  to  plead  their  cause,  most  of  them  have  suffered  terribly 
from  the  ravages  of  time,  fanaticism,  or  wilful  negligence.     Cathedrals 


96  Imperfect  'Restorations! 

in  which  the  thurible  once  swang  its  incense  high  up  into  roof  and 
vault,  churches  v/hich  needed  no  further  warmth  than  that  which 
they  received  from  the  flame  of  votive  candles  and  the  constant  pre- 
sence of  worshippers  who  thronged  to  Mass,  have  long  grown  damp 
and  mouldy  from  disuse.  Those  old  baronial  halls,  which  once  echoed 
with  the  clank  of  armour  and  noise  of  revelry,  are  silent  and  deserted 
now ;  those  ample  fireplaces,  once  piled  high  with  oak  and  pinewood, 
are  cold  and  empty;  and  rain  and  wind  beat  in  through  mullioned 
windows,  which  once  cast  a  gay  and  chequered  light  upon  the  rush- 
strewn  floor. 

Of  course,  one's  first  impulse  would  be,  if  only  for  association's  sake, 
to  rescue  these  fast-decaying  relics  of  a  by-gone  age — to  replace  the 
rotten  timbers  with  sound  wood — to  fill  in  with  newly-moulded  voussoirs 
those  cruel  gaps  in  arch  and  groin — to  pull  out  the  aged,  crumbling 
imposts  and  corbels  and  set  fresh  stone-carving  in  their  places — to 
exchange  the  battered  old  casements  for  modern  painted  glass — to 
reconstruct,  on  what  we  consider  the  original  model,  every  part  which 
we  think  fit  to  pull  down.  This  is  what  the  parson  or  the  country 
squire — maybe  the  architect  himself — does,  and  calls  it  '  restoration.' 
It  is  generally  a  well-intentioned  work,  but  unfortunately,  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten,  it  defeats  its  own  purpose.  These  good  people  fancy 
they  are  perpetuating  the  design  of  their  forefathers.  In  reality  they 
are  falsifying  it.  Let  us  take  a  case  in  point.  The  jamb  mouldings 
of  an  ancient  doorway  need  repair.  They  are  chipped  and  rubbed 
away  in  some  places  more  than  in  others.  The  mason  who  is  em- 
ployed on  the  job  selects  one  stone  which  appears  to  him  less  damaged 
than  the  rest,  and  moulds  his  new  quoins  as  nearly  as  he  can  in  imita- 
tion of  this  example.  The  probability  is  that  he  will  not  be  very 
careful ;  so,  when  the  jamb  is  set  up,  to  prevent  any  trifling  inaccura- 
cies, the  old  work  is  '  tooled  '  over,  and  the  whole  is  rubbed  down 
together.  When  the  c  restoration  '  is  complete,  will  any  one  undertake 
to  say  how  much  of  this  doorway  is  new  and  how  much  old,  or  how  far 


Old  and  Modern  Sculpture.  97 


it  may  be  reckoned  upon  as  a  transcript  of  that  which  once  stood  in  its 
place,  when  we  remember  that  the  depth  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch  may 
make  all  the  difference  in  the  contour  of  a  moulding  ?  But  this  is  not 
the  worst  to  be  apprehended.  If  the  reproduction  of  the  mouldings  be 
attended  with  difficulty,  what  can  we  say  of  wood  and  stone  carving  in 
its  wider  sense  ?  Every  one  who  has  studied  the  principles  of  Medieval 
art  knows  how  much  its  character  and  vitality  depend  upon  the  essential 
element  of  decorative  sculpture— on  the  spirit  of  what  Mr.  Ruskin 
has  called  c  noble  grotesque,'  in  its  nervous  types  of  animal  life  and 
vigorous  conventionalism  of  vegetable  form.  The  capitals,  the 
corbels,  the  bosses,  the  enriched  spandrils  of  Pointed  Architecture,  are 

the  jewels  — and  more  than  the  jewels,  the  very  blossom  and  fruit of 

that  prolific  style.      To  copy  these  line  for  line,  even  when  sound  and 
fresh  from  the  chisel,  and  yet  preserve  the  spirit  of  the  original,  would 
have  been  a  difficulty  in  the  best  ages  of  art.     The  Medieval  sculptors 
never — to    use  an  artistic  phrase — repeated  themselves.     If  the  con- 
ditions of  their  work  required  a  certain  degree  of  uniformity  in  design, 
they  took  care  to  aim  at  the  spirit,  but  not  the  letter,  of  symmetry. 
Part  might  balance  part  in  a  general   way,  but  not  with  that  slavish 
precision  which  could  be  tested  with  the  rule  and  compass.     Indeed, 
common  sense  points  to  the  fact  that  no  noble  work  can  be  thus  tran- 
scribed without  losing   in    effect.      But   modern    carvers  employed  in 
'restoration'  are   not  unfrequently  men  who   can  only  be   trusted  to 
copy  in  the  most  literal  sense  of  the  word.      The  fragments  which  serve 
them  for  a  model  are  frequently  mutilated,  and  afford  to  any  but  the 
most  experienced  eye  a  very  incorrect  notion   of  their  original  form. 
The  consequence  is  that  a  copy  is  too  frequently  produced  not  only 
deficient  in  spirit,  but  with  the  same  degree  of  accuracy  which  might  be 
expected  from  a  Chinese  engraver  who  should  undertake  to  imitate  line 
for  line  and  spot  for  spot  a  damaged  print.     Of  course  in  large  works, 
and  where   the  supervision  of  an  efficient   architect  is   secured,   these 
mistakes  are  avoided  ;    but  there  remains  the  broad  fact  that  many  of 


H 


98  yudicious  Repairs. 


our  f  decorative'  sculptors,  modern  carvers  with  quite  as  much  mechanical 
skill  and  twice  as  good  working  tools  as  their  Gothic  ancestors,  can  do 
little  more  than  tamely  copy  the  inventions  of  others.  Under  these 
circumstances,  we  cannot  hope  that  their  work  will  be  worthy  to  stand 
in  place  of  that  executed  by  men  whose  hands  realised  the  inventions  of 
their  own  fertile  fancy — who  took  the  birds  of  the  air  and  the  flowers 
of  the  field  for  their  models,  but  who  seemed  to  know  instinctively  the 
true  secret  of  all  decorative  art,  which  lies  in  the  suggestion  and  sym- 
bolism rather  than  the  presumptuous  illustration  of  natural  form. 

Does  it  follow  from   this  that  we  are  to   suffer  our  cathedrals,  our 
Tudor  mansions,  and  other  monuments  of  antiquity  to  perish  for  want 
of  timely  succour  ?     By  no  means.     There  is  much  useful  work  which 
can  be  done,  and  done  honestly,  towards  preserving  such  buildings  from 
decay.     Any  mason  can  square  a  stone  and  put  it  in  its  proper  place, 
or   secure  the  safety  of   a   tottering   wall.       There  is   work    for    the 
carpenter,  the  plumber,  the  slater,  and  others  whose  handicraft  is  of  a 
purely  mechanical  kind.     But  the  thought  of  the  old  artist  sculptor — 
his  wit,  his  satire,  his  love  of  leaves  and  flowers,  his  gay  or  grim  notions 
of  life  and  death — these  we  must  see  fade  away  before  our  eyes  and  let 
them  pass.     We  cannot  reanimate  the  mouldering  freestone,  or  realise 
with  a  sober  modern  chisel  the  wayward  fancies  of  the  Middle  Ages. 
Before,  therefore,  we  c  restore,'  let  us  endeavour  to  preserve  what  still 
remains  to  us  of  our  old  national  architecture — let  us  watch  its  very 
fragments  with  a  jealous  eye,  propping  them  up  when  needed,  shielding 
them  so  far  as  we  can  from  the  effects  of  weather  and  wanton  destruc- 
tion.    If  any  portions  are  already  past  this  care,  and  in  absolute  danger 
of  falling,  it  is  better  to  pull  them  down  at  once  than  falsify  them  with 
new  work.     A  porch,  a  tower,  or  a  window  may  frequently  be  rebuilt 
entirely  with  advantage  ;   but  then  it  should  be  ostensibly  the  work  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  and  not  be  so  incorporated  with  the  rest  as  to 
deceive  the  student  of  the  next  generation.     A  brass  plate  or  a  stone 
tablet  let  into  the  wall  might  record  in  legible  characters  the  date  and 


Restoration  of  Henry   VII Is  Chapel. 


99 


circumstances  of  the  re-erection.  There  can  be  no  objection  to  per- 
petuating the  style  of  the  original  buildings,  but  it  is  of  far  more 
importance  to  adopt  the  spirit  than  to  follow  the  letter  of  the  design. 

Thus,  it  may  be  presumed,  would  reason  many  of  the  rising  school  of 
architects  in  our  own  time  ;  but  in  Wyatt's  day,  while  the  grammar  of 
Medieval  art  had  still  to  be  re-acquired — while  the  sentiment  which  had 
begun  to  recommend  it  to  popular  favour  remained,  as  yet,  but  a  weak 
and  misdirected  sentiment,  it  was  in  vain  to  expect  that  restorations  would 
be  conducted  on  any  other  principle  than  that  which  suggests  a  literal 
reproduction  of  old  work.  In  so  far  as  Wyatt  confined  himself  to  this 
principle,  he  was  successful ;  but  when  he  presumed — and  he  frequently 
presumed — to  alter  and,  as  he  thought,  to  improve  upon  the  architecture 
of  the  Middle  Ages,  the  result  was  a  lamentable  failure. 

The  most  notable  instance  of  his  ability  in  the  field  of  restoration 
is  certainly  that  of  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel  at  Westminster.  During  the 
last  century  the  exterior  of  the  building  had  been  rapidly  decaying, 
and,  in  a  period  of  about  twenty  years,  a  sum  exceeding  28,000/.  had 
been  spent  on  repairs.  In  the  year  1803  a  ^re  broke  out  in  the  roof 
which  involved  an  expense  of  several  thousand  pounds,  and  the  Dean 
(Dr.  Vincent)  and  Chapter,  feeling  that  the  c  Fabric  Fund  '  which  had 
been  set  apart  for  repairs  was  no  longer  sufficient  to  meet  the  annual 
outlay  required,  determined  to  apply  to  the  Government  for  assistance. 
Accordingly  a  memorial  was  drawn  up  and  presented  to  the  Treasury  in 
1806.  That  department  referred  the  subject  to  a  Committee  of  Taste, 
who  were  good  enough  to  promise  their  opinion  on  any  plans  for  the 
restoration  which  might  be  submitted  to  them,  but  did  nothing  further. 
In  the  following  year  the  Dean  and  Chapter,  nothing  daunted, 
prepared  another  petition,  this  time  to  the  House  of  Commons,  stating 
that  '  the  petitioners  had  long  seen  with  extreme  regret  the  decay  and 
ruinous  appearance  of  King  Henry  VII.'s  Chape!,  the  most  beautiful 
specimen  of  Gothic  architecture  in  the  kingdom,  and  perhaps  in  Europe.' 
They  added  that  it  appeared  from  the  survey  of  their  architect  (Mr. 


H  2 


ioo  Aid  from  Government. 


Wyatt)  that  the  decay  had  hitherto  only  affected  the  exterior  of  the 
building  ;   that  the  interior  was  still  in  a  fairly  sound  state  ;   and  that,  if 
the  exterior  were    repaired   before   the  weather  was  suffered  to   make 
further  ravages,  the  whole  structure   might  be  preserved.      The   peti- 
tioners concluded   by  asking   for   an   annual   grant  of  1,000/.   and  an 
additional    sum   of   1,000/.    'extraordinary'    for   the   first   year.      The 
House  appointed  a  Committee,  who,  as  a  first  step,  examined  Wyatt  as 
to  the  probable   cost  of  the  restoration.      He  stated  that  it  would  be 
difficult  to  estimate  it  exactly,  but  he  conceived  that  about  14,800/. 
would  be  required  for  ?  necessary  repairs,'  and  probably  10,40c/.   for 
ornamental  work.      He  added  that  the  works  might  be  completed  in 
three  years.     As  is  often  the  case  in  such  undertakings,  it  turned  out 
in  due  course  that  both  the  time  and  the  amount  of  money  required  had 
been  considerably  underrated.    The  House  of  Commons  voted  2,000/. 
as  the  first  instalment  towards  the  work,  and  at  Dr.  Vincent's  request 
the  general  arrangements  for  the  scheme  were  left  in  the  hands  of  a 
body  of  gentlemen,  then  known  as  the  '  Committee  for  the  Inspection  of 
Models  for  National   Monuments.'     This  Committee  included  among 
its  members  the  Marquis  of  Stafford,   the    Marquis   of  Buckingham, 
Lord  Aberdeen,  Sir  George  Beaumont,  Mr.  Thomas  Hop,-,   Mr.   R. 
Payne  Knight,  and  other  distinguished  amateurs.      But  the  Government 
showed   its   good   sense  by   adding   several    artists    to   the  Committee. 
Among  these  were  Flaxman,  Banks  and  Westmacott,  three  cf  the  most 
eminent  sculptors  of  the  day.      Sir  Charles  Long  acted  as  chairman. 

Every  care  was  taken  to  ensure  the  use  of  a  good  quality  of  stone 
for  the  restoration.  Gayfere,  the  abbey  mason,  who  appears  to  have 
played  a  far  more  prominent  part  in  the  work  than  would  be  allotted 
to  any  similar  official  in  our  own  time,  was  examined  and  directed  to 
report  on  this  subject.  He  visited  Bath  and  St.  Albans  Abi^ey,  and  at 
length  decided  in  favour  of  Kentish  stone  and  that  of  Coomb  Down 
quarries.  An  incident  occurred  during  Gayfere's  examination  which 
shows  the  tendency,  even  in  those  days,  to  cheapen   the  cost  of  artistic 


Confidence  in   Jl'yatt.  101 


work  at  a  sacrifice  of  its  quality.  Bernasconi's  composition  (a  species 
of  terra  cotta)  had  then  come  into  use,  and  Gay  fere  was  asked  what  he 
thought  of  the  durability  of  this  material,  if  it  were  employed  instead 
of  stone  for  the  external  carvings.  The  document  from  which  these 
particulars  are  gleaned  records  no  answer  to  this  enquiry.  Whether  it 
was  actually  answered  does  not  now  signify.  But,  as  a  matter  of  tact, 
Bernasconi's  composition  was  not  used,  and  we  may  be  thankful  for  the 
decision. 

Just  as  the  works  were  to  have  been  begun  they  were  delayed  by  an 
untoward  accident.  A  vessel  bringing  150  tons  of  stone  from  Bristol 
was  wrecked  off  the  Isle,  of  Portland.  In  1809  the  restoration  was 
fairly  begun,  and  though  some  slight  misunderstandings  appear  to  have 
at  first  arisen  between  the  Dean  and  Chapter  and  the  Parliamentary 
Committee,  it  was  carried  on  gradually  and  successfully  for  many  years, 
grants  being  made  by  Government  even  during  the  war  with  France, 
until  it  was  finally  completed  (long  after  Wyatt's  death)  in  18  21. 

Restorations  such  as  this,  conducted  with  a  careful   reverence  for 

ancient  work  and  an  accurate  reproduction  of  its  detail,  would  have 

won  for  Wyatt  the  respect  of  his  antiquarian  contemporaries,  and  saved 

him  from  the  censure  of  later  critics.      But  unfortunately  he  had  had 

in  the  early  days  of  his  practice  many  cathedrals  and  other  Mediaeval 

buildings  of  importance  committed  to  his  care  by  those  who  placed  the 

fullest  confidence  in  his  ability,  and  who  had  themselves  but  a  scanty 

acquaintance  with  even  the  elementary  principles  of  Gothic  art.     It  is 

not   exactly   on   record   that   the   ecclesiastical   authorities   of  the   day 

declared  him  to  be  a  greater  architect  than   Bertram  of  Salisbury  or 

Waynflete  of  Winchester,  but  it  is  not  improbable  that  they  believed 

it.     How  far  Wyatt  may  have  been  morally  responsible  for  the  deeds 

of   vandalism    which    were    too    frequently    carried   on   in    his   name  ; 

whether  his  vanity  or  his  ignorance  led  him  to  remodel  architectural 

work  of  the  Middle  Ages,  the  excellence   of  which  he  could   never 

hope  to  imitate,  may  be  doubtful ;   but  the  plain  fact  remains,  that  on 


102  New  College  Chapel. 

such  occasions  he  far  exceeded  his  professional  duty,  and  that  having 
been  called  on  to  repair,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  alter  and  even  to  destroy. 
It  was  to  be  hoped  that,  at  least,  one  stronghold  of  Mediaeval  art 
would  have  been  proof  against  Wyatt's   innovations.      Oxford,  as  we 
have  seen,   had  preserved,  down  to  a  late  period,  the  traditions  of  a 
national    style.         In   our   own   time   it  has   distinguished    itself  by    a 
strenuous  and  successful  attempt  to  revive  them.      But  a  dark  interval 
occurred  between  the  two  epochs,  and  though,  during  that  interval,  the 
University  acquired  many  buildings  which  were  creditable  specimens  of 
Italian    architecture,  the   character  of  local   Gothic  sank  to  zero.      So 
long  as  Hawksmoor's  work  at  All  Souls'  College  remains  standing,  it 
will  probably  retain  the  reputation  of  being  the  most  debased  travesty 
of  Pointed  Architecture  in  Oxford.     Wyatt's  designs  did  not  exactly 
descend  to  this  level,  but  they  approached  it.     No  one  who  has  any 
reverence  for  Mediaeval  art  can  examine  the  present  condition  of  New 
College  Chapel  without  a  feeling  of  surprise  that  even  in  Wyatt's  day 
such  work  as  his  plaster  reredos,  mean  as  it  is  in  material,  and  vulgar  in 
the  extravagance  of  its  detail,  could  have  passed  for  restoration.     Yet  it 
is  not  improbable  that,  at  the  time  when  it  was  executed,  the  College 
dons  considered  it  a  finer  specimen  of  art  than  that  which  had  been 
doomed  to   destruction   by  Bishop  Home.     Westmacott's  sculptured 
panels,  in  mezzo-relievo,  are  at  least  of  real  marble,  and  exhibit  some 
inventive  skill ;  but  the  dramatic  action  of  his  figures  is  completely  out 
of  character  with   the  architecture  of  the   building  which  they  were 
intended  to  decorate.    Fragments  of  the  old  sculpture,  removed  to  make 
place  for  this  work,  may  still  be  seen  in  the  adjoining  cloister.     Im- 
partial critics,  who  compaie  the  Mediaeval  carving  with  its  modern  sub- 
stitute, will,  probably,  consider  the  neat  finish  and  anatomical  correctness 
of  Westmacott's  groups  a  poor  exchange  for  the  earnest  and  vigorous, 
though  somewhat  rude,  treatment  of  the  old  design. 

If  Wyatt's  innovations  had  been  confined  to  decorative  detail,  more 
excuse   might  be   made   for  him  at  the  present  day.     A  style  of  art 


IVyatt's  Responsibilities.  103 

which  has  fallen  into  neglect  for  two  or  three  centuries  is  not  likely  to 
be  revived  with  much  of  its  original  spirit  in  the  course  of  a  few  years. 
The  natural  tendency  of  modern  uneducated  taste  is  to  set  an  undue 
value  upon  mere  elaboration  of  ornament  and  on  the  literal  imitation  of 
natural  forms.  It  is  liable  to  mistake  the  noble  abstractive  treatment 
so  well  understood  in  past  ages  of  art  for  ignorance  or  incapacity  of 
hand.  We  may  charitably  suppose  that  Wyatt  thought  the  fruit  and 
foliage  of  his  plaster  reredos  a  real  improvement  on  the  crockets  and 
flnials  of  a  Mediaeval  sculptor.  But  that  an  architect  who  was 
entrusted  to  restore  buildings  erected  in  the  Middle  Ages  should  have 
presumed  to  sacrifice  important  and  constructive  features  in  more  than 
one  cathedral  for  the  sake  of  satisfying  his  own  notions  of  proportion 
and  effect,  is  an  example  of  intolerable  vanity  and  ignorance.  He  who 
had  studied  in  Rome  the  principles  of  classic  architecture  would,  pro- 
bably, have  been  the  first  to  resent  an  impertinent  remodelling  of  the 
Pantheon.  One  might  reasonably  suppose  that  if  he  possessed  half  the 
respect  for  Gothic  art  with  which  he  was  accredited  by  his  contem- 
poraries, he  would  have  seen  the  same  necessity  for  preserving  the 
integrity  of  its  remains.  Unfortunately  Lichfield,  Durham,  and  Salis- 
bury bear  evidence  to  the  contrary. 

It  is  possible  that  much  of  the  vandalism  committed  at  this  time, 
under  the  plea  of  restoration,  has  been  since  unjustly  attributed  to 
Wyatt.  But  that  he  was  in  several  well-known  instances  directly 
responsible  for  needless  destruction  and  injudicious  repairs  is  quite 
certain.  How  long  such  work  would  have  been  permitted  to  go  on  by 
those  whose  duty  it  was  to  watch  with  jealous  care  the  venerable  build- 
ings entrusted  to  their  charge,  may  be  doubted.  Luckily,  remonstrance 
was  at  hand  from  an  unexpected  quarter.  It  was  administered  sharply,  au- 
thoritatively, and  persistently,  and,  in  course  of  time,  with  excellent  effect. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  John  Carter's  c  Specimens  of 
Ancient  Sculpture  and  Painting,'  published  in  1786.  But  this  and 
other  works  of  the  same  class,  and  by  the  same  hand,  creditable  as  they 


io4  yolui  Carter. 


are  to  their  author,  will  reflect  less  permanent  honour  on  his  memory 
than  the  fact  that,  for  a  period  of  nearly  twenty  years,  he  employed  his 
pen  in  a  vigorous  protest  against  the  ruthless  and  ignorant  '  innovations  ' 
of  his  day. 

The    history    of    this    doughty    champion    of   Gothic    architecture 
may  be  sketched  in  a  few  lines.      He  was  born  in  the  middle  of  the 
last  century.      His   father,  who   had  carried   on  business  which   may 
be   euphemistically  described  as    that  of  a  monumental  sculptor,   but 
which  really  included  the  manufacture  of  mantel-pieces*  died  in  1763, 
leaving  his  son  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  almost  entirely  dependent  on 
his  own   exertions   for  a   livelihood.      The  lad   had   been   taken   from 
school  to  assist  his  father  in  the  preparation  of  the  working  drawings 
necessary  to  guide  the  workmen  who  executed  his  designs.     This  occu- 
pation taught  him  to  use  his  pencil,  which  he  soon  employed  to  better 
purpose.     In    1764    young    Carter    made   a  perspective  view   of   the 
Herald's  Tower,  Windsor  Castle — the  first  of  a  long  series  of  similar 
productions,  which  at  first  brought  him  bread,  and  afterwards  renown. 
Builders  of  the  day,  who  seem  to  have  frequently  acted  without  the 
supervision  of  architects,  gladly  secured  his  artistic  services.     In   1786 
he  was  engaged  to  prepare  illustrations  for  the  '  Builder's  Magazine,' 
probably  the  first  professional  journal  brought  out  in  this  country. 

But  a  more  important  engagement  dates  from  a  few  years  previously, 

when  the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  recognising  his  delineative  skill  and 

knowledge  of  architecture,  employed  him  to  etch  many  of  the  views  of 

ancient  buildings,  published  under  their  direction.      The  cathedrals  of 

Exeter,  Durham,  Gloucester,  and  York  ;  the  abbeys  of  Bath  and  St. 

Albans,  with  a  host  of  others,  became,  in  turn,  subjects  for  his  pencil. 

Every  ancient  building  which  he  visited  was  useful  to  him  in  a  twofold 

sense.     He  made  drawings  and  he  made  notes.     The  drawings  weix-  a 

source  of  immediate  profit.      By  means  of  the  notes  he,   by  degrees, 

laid  up  a  store  of  archaeological  information  which,  in  course  of  time, 

placed  him  among  the  foremost  antiquaries  of  the  day.     As  an  architect 


His  Antiquarian   Tastes.  10 


- 


he  seems  to  have  had  little  or  no  practice.  A  small  chapel  at  Sevenoaks, 
a  few  almshouses,  and  a  monument  or  two,  are  the  only  works  on 
record  for  which  he  was  directly  responsible  ;  but  it  is  well  known  that 
he  was-  frequently  consulted  by  other  members  of  the  profession,  who 
were  in  the  habit  of  submitting  their  designs  to  him  for  approval  or 
correction.  The  study  of  Mediaeval  architecture  had  been  almost  an 
instinct  with  him  from  his  earliest  youth.  His  delight  was  to  sketch, 
to  measure,  and  to  describe  every  ancient  English  building  which  he 
saw,  and  in  such  pursuits  he  passed  the  greater  part  of  a  long  life.  One 
other  taste,  indeed,  he  had,  which  occasionally  beguiled  him  from  his 
antiquarian  researches.  It  was  for  that  art  which  is  allied  to  architec- 
ture by  some  mysterious  link  long  imaged  by  poetical  conception  and 
not  unfrequently  confessed  in  the  experience  of  ordinary  life.  He  was 
passionately  fond  of  music* 

It  may  easily  be  conceived  that  a  man  of  Carter's  accurate  knowledge 
and  ardent  temperament  saw  with  a  feeling  stronger  than  impatience  our 
national  relics  of  Mediaeval  architecture  one  by  one  perishing  through 
neglect,  injured  by  clumsy  restoration,  and  in  some  cases  being  partially 
destroyed  by  ignorant  attempts  to  improve  upon  their  original  design. 
In  such  instances,  if  we  may  believe  his  contemporary  cricics,  he  felt  all 
the  indignation  which  might  be  justified  by  a  personal  affront.  If  his 
private  character  had  been  attacked  he  could  scarcely  have  been  more 
inclined  to  resent  the  injury.  The  manner  in  which  he  did  resent  it 
was  characteristic  not  only  of  the  man  but  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived. 
Towards  the  middle  of  the  year  17  98  a  letter  was  published  in  the 
c  Gentleman's  Magazine,'  calling  attention  to  certain  injudicious  repairs 
and  alterations  which  had  been  carried  on  in  Peterborough  Cathedral. 
The  writer  signed  himself  c  An  Architect,'  and  if  no  further  correspon- 

*  Carter's  enthusiasm  for  music  led  him,  as  an  amateur,  not  only  to  perform  but  to 
compose.  He  was  the  author  of  two  operas,  produced  at  one  of  the  minor  theatres,  but 
long  since  forgotten — '  The  White  Rose,'  and  '  The  Cell  of  St.  Oswald ' — which  were 
intended  to  illustrate  dramatically  English  life  in  the  Middle  Ages.  In  each  case  the 
words,  as  well  as  the  music,  were  his  own.     He  also  painted  the  scenery. 


io6         Letters  in  the  { Gentleman's  Magazine' 


dence  had  ensued,  it  is  possible  that  he  would  have  preserved  his  incog- 
nito. But  this  letter  was  only  the  first  of  a  long  series  which  continued 
to  appear,  at  intervals,  in  the  same  journal  and  under  the  same  signa- 
ture, for  the  extraordinarily  long  period  of  twenty  years.  In  the  year 
1 8 17  this  remarkable  correspondence  was  brought  somewhat  abruptly 
to  a  close,  not,  however,  before  the  writer  had  begun  to  depart  from 
his  original  theme,  viz.  the  c  Pursuits  of  Architectural  Innovation.' 
The  2 1 2th  letter  promised  that  the  subject  should  be  continued,  but 
the  Fates  had  ordered  otherwise.  The  writer  had  laid  down  his  pen 
for  the  last  time. 

The  fact  that  Carter  died  in  18 17  is  scarcely  required  to  prove  the 
authenticity  of  these  letters.  During  the  time  which  elapsed  since  the 
first  appeared,  considerable  advance  was  made  in  the  study  of  Gothic 
architecture.  As  years  rolled  on,  other  men  might  have  been  found 
equal  to  the  task  of  criticising  modern  f  improvements '  as  shrewdly,  as 
learnedly,  and  as  carefully  as  Carter.  But  it  may  safely  be  asserted 
that  no  one  else  would  have  sustained  the  task  with  such  prolonged 
energy  and  perseverance. 

It  is  true  that  the  very  nature  of  his  ordinary  occupation  afforded 
peculiar  facilities  for  this  additional  work.  Every  sketch  which  he 
made  was,  to  his  appreciative  eye,  a  fresh  lesson  in  architectural  style. 
Every  tour  which  he  made  gave  him  an  opportunity,  not  only  for 
artistic  study,  but  for  critical  inspection.  At  Gloucester  he  laments  the 
injury  caused  by  turning  it  into  a  place  for  periodical  music  meetings, 
and  notices  the  absence  of  heraldic  propriety  in  the  restoration  of  sculp- 
tured details.  At  Canterbury  he  calls  attention  to  the  modern  dis- 
figurement of  Archbishop  Wareham's  monument  and  to  the  shameful 
condition  of  St.  Augustine's  Monastery.*  At  Lichfield  the  transept 
windows  and  the  choir  arches  were  walled  up.     At  Salisbury  the  Beau- 

:'  Now  rescued  from  desecration,  restored,  and  converted  into  St.  Augustine's  (Mission- 
ary) College,  by  the  timely  munificence  of  Mr.  Bercsford  Hope,  M.P.,  and  the  professional 
skill  of  Mr.  W.  Butterfield.     This  building  will  form  the  subject  of  some  later  remarks. 


Effect  of  Catter's  Remonstrance.  107 


champ  Chapel  was  destroyed.  He  found  Winchester  neglected  and 
Howden  Church  half  in  ruins.  He  visited  the  Welsh  castles,  and  was 
ashamed  of  their  dilapidations  and  still  more  deplorable  repairs.  The 
condition  of  the  ancient  churches  of  Coventry  excited  his  pity  and  his 
anger.  He  went  to  Oxford,  and  finding  himself  excluded  from  Divine 
service  at  Magdalen  College  Chapel,  was  indignant  not  only  with  the 
architectural  innovations,  but  with  the  ecclesiastical  polity  of  the  Esta- 
blishment. At  Westminster  he  groaned  over  alterations  which  had 
been  made,  and  deprecated  others  which  were  threatened  in  the  Abbey. 
He  waxed  wroth  at  discovering  that  while  the  New  Courts  of  Justice 
were  accepted  as  examples  of  good  modern  Gothic,  the  beautiful  Chapel 
of  St.  Stephen  was  condemned  to  desecration  as  a  dining  room. 

These  and  a  hundred  other  similar  grievances  formed  the  subject- 
matter  for  the  letters  of  c  An  Architect.'  They  declared  war  a  outrance 
to  modern  innovation,  by  whatever  hand  or  under  whatever  direction  it 
was  carried  on.  Sometimes  this  interference  was  resented  by  replies 
also  published  in  the  Magazine,  and  then  a  sharp  controversy  ensued,  in 
which  Carter  generally  came  off  victorious.*  The  style  of  his  letters 
must  not  be  judged  by  the  literary  standard  of  our  own  day.  To  the 
modern  reader  they  will  seem  stilted  and  extravagant  in  language.  But 
his  remarks  were  always  to  the  point,  and  when  they  were  answered  by 
an  opponent,  Carter  returned  again  and  again  to  the  charge,  bringing 
fresh  arguments  and  new  evidence  in  support  of  his  original  assertions. 

The  information  which  he  supplied  and  the  criticism  which  he 
offered  must  have  been  invaluable  at  the  time.  Thousands  of  readers 
who  had  previously  regarded  Gothic  as  a  barbarous  kind  of  architecture 
to  which  no  recognised  canon  of  taste  would  apply,  learnt  for  the  first 

*  Occasionally  the  correspondence  took  a  serious  turn.  At  the  conclusion  of  one  of 
his  letters  (January  1810),  Carter,  referring  to  the  communications  of  *  An  Amateur,' 
who  had  contradicted  him  flatly  on  a  point  of  fact,  replied  as  follows:  '  The  "Amateur" 
may  be  assured  that  I  am  ready  to  meet  him  on  any  ground,  let  his  onset  be  what  it  may, 
question  or  answer,  or  otherwiseV  It  does  not,  however,  appear  that  any  hostile  encounter 
was  the  result  of  this  challenge. 


io8  William  Atkinson. 


time  their  mistake.  Many  a  country  parson  who  had  allowed  his  parish 
church  to  fall  into  decay,  must  have  been  reminded  that  it  was  his 
duty  to  take  an  interest  in  its  repair.  Many  a  Dean  and  Chapter  who 
had  indulged  in  grand  notions  about  cathedral  '  improvements,'  paused 
before  they  lent  themselves  to  a  work  of  destruction  which  was  now  so 
reasonably  condemned.  The  sentiments  of  c  An  Architect '  found  grate- 
ful response,  not  only  in  the  pages  of  the  '  Gentleman's  Magazine,'  but 
in  other  journals.  Wyatt,  for  whose  professional  ability  Carter  appears 
to  have  entertained  no  small  contempt,  died  in  1813,  and  thenceforth  a 
new  era  began  to  dawn  for  the  Gothic  Revival. 

Of  course  it  was  long  before  restorations  were  conducted  with  that 
careful  attention  to  detail  which  can  alone  justify  such  repairs.  The 
character  of  ancient  mouldings  and  of  sculpture  ornament  had  still  to 
be  analysed  and  studied  before  the  nineteenth-century  architect  could 
hope  to  approach  the  grace  and  refinement  of  the  original  forms  which 
he  professed  to  imitate.  But  the  presumptuous  folly  of  attempting  to 
alter  and  improve  upon  work  elevated  by  its  excellence  far  beyond  the 
aim  of  modern  design  and  workmanship  was  now  openly  confessed  and 
by  degrees  abandoned. 

The  generation  of  British  architects  whose  professional  career  ex- 
tended from  the  past  to  the  present  century  includes  many  names 
which  have  long  been  forgotten,  and  many  others  which  will  soon 
follow  them  into  oblivion,  but  which  were  in  their  time  more  or  less 
associated  with  the  Revival  of  Gothic. 

In  this  list  William  Atkinson  occupies  an  early  and  not  undis- 
tinguished place.  Born  at  Bishop  Auckland  about  1773,  he  began  life 
as  a  carpenter,  but  through  the  patronage  of  Dr.  Barrington,  then 
Bishop  of  Durham,  he  became  a  pupil  of  James  Wyatt,  and  in  1797 
obtained  the  gold  medal  of  the  Royal  Academy.  In  the  course  of  his 
practice  he  designed  Scone  Palace,  Perthshire,  for  the  Earl  of  Mans- 
field (1803-6);  Rossie  Priory  for  Lord  Kinnaird  (1810-15);  Abbots- 


L.  N.  Cottingharris  Works.  109 


ford,  Roxburghshire,  for  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and  many  other  country- 
mansions  in  England  and  Scotland.* 

Between  the  years  18  14  and  1822  Mr.  L.  N.  Cottingham  did  some 
service  to  the  Revival  by  publishing  several  works  in  illustration  of  old 
English  architecture.  His  plans,  &c.  of  Westminster  Hall  appeared  in 
1822.  Shortly  afterwards  he  brought  out  a  more  voluminous  work  on 
Henry  VII. 's  Chapel.  His  working  drawings  of  Gothic  ornaments  are 
ill-selected  and  coarse  in  execution,  but  curious  as  being  perhaps  the 
first  full-size  illustrations  of  Mediaeval  carving  published  in  this  form. 
He  built  Snelston  Hall  in  Derbyshire,  and  in  1825  designed  a  new 
central  tower  for  Rochester  Cathedral,  besides  restoring  other  portions 
of  the  same  building.  In  1829  he  was  the  successful  competitor  for 
the  restorations  (completed  in  1833)  of  the  interior  of  Magdalen 
College,  Oxford.  Under  his  superintendence  repairs  were  also  carried 
on  at  Hereford  Cathedral,  St.  Albans  Abbey,  and  the  Church  of 
St.  James  at  Louth. 

It  is,  however,  as  a  collector  of  Mediaeval  antiquities  rather  than  as 
an  architect  that  his  name  has  been  chiefly  associated  with  the  Revival. 
In  addition  to  a  vast  number  of  casts  taken  from  capitals,  bosses,  and 
other  examples  of  decorative  sculpture  in  English  and  foreign  cathedrals, 
he  had  acquired  many  specimens  of  original  carved  work  in  wood  and 
stone — in  some  cases  entire  features  of  buildings  which  had  been 
dismantled  or  pulled  down.  These,  in  addition  to  a  host  of  other 
objects,    including    ancient   furniture  and   metal-work,  formed  a  most 

*  It  is  necessary  to  distinguish  this  architect  from  others  of  the  same  surname,  and  all 
born  in  the  last  century,  viz.  :  Peter  Atkinson  (the  son  of  a  carpenter),  who  practised  at 
York  ;  Peter  Atkinson,  the  son  and  partner  of  the  last-mentioned,  who  was  employed  by 
the  Duke  of  Devonshire,  and  who  erected  many  churches  for  the  Ecclesiastical  Commis- 
sioners between  1821  and  1 83  1  ;  Thomas  Atkinson,  who  made  additions  to  the  Arch i- 
episcopal  Palace,  Bishopsthorpe,  near  York,  in  1769;  and  T.  W.  Atkinson,  a  London 
architect,  who  published  *  Gothic  Ornaments  Selected  from  the  different  Cathedrals  and 
Churches  of  England,'  in  1829. 


1 10  yohn  C.  Buckler. 


valuable  and  interesting  Mediaeval  museum  long  before  public  energy 
or  national   funds  had  been  devoted  to  a  similar   purpose.* 

Among  Carter's  friends  and  contemporaries  was  Mr.  John  Buckler, 
F. S.A.j  who  published  some  fine  'Views  of  the  Cathedral  Churches  of 
England  and  Wales,  with  Descriptions.'  His  son,  Mr.  John  Chessell 
Buckler,  designed  in  1825  the  modern  portion  of  Costessey  Hall, 
Norfolk,  for  Lord  Stafford — one  of  the  most  important  and  successful 
instances  of  the  Revival  in  Domestic  Architecture.  It  is  built  of  red 
and  white  brick,  with  stone  dressings,  and  the  style  is  Tudor,  of  the  type 
adopted  in  Thornbury  Castle. f 

The  general  appearance  of  the  building  is  that  of  an  irregular  but 
well  grouped  and  interesting  composition,  in  which  stepped  gables,  angle 
turrets,  and  richly  moulded  chimney-shafts  form  picturesque  features,  and 
exhibit  a  knowledge  of  detail  and  proportion  far  in  advance  of  contempo- 
rary work.  In  the  centre  of  the  block  rises  a  solid  square  tower, 
crowned  with  machicolations  and  an  embattled  parapet. 

Internally  the  rooms  are  fitted  up  with  great  care,  the  carved  ceilings, 
stone  mantel-pieces,  and  carved  panel-work  being  all  of  rich  design, 
and  in  character  with  the  external  architecture  ;  which  is  more  than 
can  be  said  for  many  of  the  so-called  Gothic  mansions  of  the  day. 

The  old  mansion,  erected  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary,  still  occupies 
the  site  of  the  intended  hall  and  principal  staircase.  The  chapel  erected 
early  in  the  present  century  has  been  already  mentioned. 

Mr.  J.  C.  Buckler  was  largely  employed  at  Oxford  in  the  restora- 
tions of  and  additions  to  the  various  buildings  of  the  University.  St. 
Mary's  Church,  as  well  as  Oriel,  Brasenose,  Magdalen,  and  Jesus 
Colleges,  bear  evidence  of  his  professional  handiwork.  He  also  restored 
Oxburgh  Hall,  Norfolk,   and  Hengrave  Hall,   Suffolk.     Among  the 

*  Mr.  Cottingham's  collection  was  sold  by  public  auction  a  few  years  after  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1847. 

t  Erected  in  Henry  VIIl.'s  reign  by  Edward  Stafford,  Duke  of  Buckingham,  an  ancestor 
of  the  present  Baron. 


Mr.  Buckler  s  Protest.  1 1 1 

country  mansions  which  he  was  entrusted  to  design  may  be  mentioned 
Dunston  Hall,  Norfolk,  and  Butleigh  Court,  in  Somersetshire.  In  1823 
Buckler  published  a  description  of  Magdalen  College,  adding  to  it  an 
account  of  the  '  innovations  '  then  recently  executed  there,  and  a  protest 
against  others  which  were  threatened.  This  little  work,  which  for 
personal  reasons  existing  at  the  time  was  published  anonymously,  did 
good  service  at  Oxford.  It  argued  well  and  earnestly  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  old  colleges,  which  had  been  sadly  maltreated  under  the 
guise  of  'improvement.'  Antiquaries,  in  short,  no  longer  stood  alone 
as  champions  of  the  Revival.  The  cause  was  espoused  by  many  profes- 
sional architects  of  ability  and  repute.  This  would  not  in  itself  have 
sufficed  to  secure  the  support  of  public  taste.  But  public  taste  received 
a  stimulus  of  its  own,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 


1 1 2  Sir  fl  'alter  Scoff. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

ANIFOLD  as  the  influences  are  to  which  the  modern  revival 
of  Gothic  Architecture  have  been  referred,  they  may,  if  taken 
broadly,  be  classed  under  three  heads,  viz.  literary,  religious, 
and  antiquarian.  To  the  first  may  be  assigned  the  taste  for  media> 
valism,  which  was  encouraged  in  this  country  by  the  writings  of  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  Bishop  Percy,  and  Dr.  Lingard  ;  in  France  by  those  of 
Chateaubriand  ;  and  in  Germany  by  those  of  Friedrich  von  Schlegel. 
It  is  impossible  to  read  either  the  poems  or  the  novels  of  Scott  without 
perceiving  how  greatly  their  interest  depends  on  that  class  of  sentiment, 
half  chivalrous  and  half  romantic,  which  is  centered  in  the  social  life  and 
history,  the  faith,  the  arts,  and  the  warfare  of  the  Middle  Ages. 
'  Ivanhoe,'  <  The  Abbot,'  c  Woodstock,'  c  The  Fair  Maid  of  Perth,'  and 
f  The  Monastery,'  abound  in  allusions  to  the  Architecture,  either  military 
or  ecclesiastical,  of  a  bygone  age.  It  forms  the  background  to  some  of 
the  most  stirring  scenes  which  the  author  depicts.  It  invests  with  a 
substantial  reality  the  romances  which  he  weaves.  It  is  often  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  very  incidents  of  his  plot. 

We  need  not  necessarily  infer  that  Scott  possessed  anything  more 
than  a  superficial  knowledge  of  the  art  which  he  so  enthusiastically  ad- 
mired. On  the  contrary,  the  descriptions  which  he  gives  of  Mediaeval 
buildings  not  unfrequently  betray  an  ignorance  of  what  have  since  been 
called  the  true  principles  of  Gothic  design.  The  poetic  but  erroneous 
notion  that  the  groined  vault  of  a  cathedral  church  had  its  prototype  in 
the  spreading  branches  of  a  tree — the  comparison  of  clustered  shafts  to 
bundles  of  lances  bound  with  garlands — may  raise  a  smile  from  those  who 
have  studied  with  any  attention  the  real  and  structural   beauties  of  old 


The  IVaverley  Novels.  \  \  3 


English  Architecture.  The  truth  is  that  the  service  which  Scott  ren- 
dered to  the  cause  of  the  Revival  was  to  awaken  popular  interest  in  a 
style  which  had  hitherto  been  associated,  except  by  the  educated  few, 
with  ascetic  gloom  and  vulgar  superstition.  With  the  aid  of  his  magic 
pen,  the  Castle  of  Coningsburgh  is  filled  as  of  yore  with  doughty  war- 
riors ;  Branksome  Hall  is  restored  to  its  feudal  splendour  ;  Kenilworth 
becomes  once  more  the  scene  of  human  love,  and  strife,  and  tragedy  ; 
the  aisles  of  Melrose  echo  again  with  a  solemn  requiem. 

The  Waverley  novels  and  the  poems  which  preceded  them  were  read 
with  an  eager  interest  which  we  can  only  realize  in  this  blase  generation 
when  we  remember  the  class  of  fiction,  in  prose  or  verse,  with  which 
our  grandsires  had  been  previously  supplied.  With  the  exception  of 
Horace  Walpole  and  Mrs.  Radcliffe,  no  author  of  any  note  had  sought 
for  inspiration  in  the  old-world  lore ;  and  though  the  <  Castle  of 
Otranto  '  and  the  f  Romance  of  the  Forest '  have  had,  no  doubt,  their 
admirers,  the  Mediaeval  element  which  they  contain  bears  no  nearer 
relation  to  f  Ivanhoe '  and  c  The  Monastery  '  than  the  Gothic  of  Batty 
Langley  does  to  the  designs  of  Butterfield. 

The  works  of  Fielding  and  Smollett — and,  if  we  may  compare  small 
things  with  great,  of  Richardson — derived  their  chief  interest  from  the 
delineation  of  character  in  scenes  of  contemporary  life.  Mr.  Thomas 
Jones  and  Mr.  Roderick  Random  are  essentially  modern  heroes. 
Their  respective  adventures  point  a  doubtful  moral  to  a  disreputable 
tale,  not  without  redeeming  points  of  sparkling  wit,  trenchant  satire, 
and  genuine  philosophy.  But  we  may  search  them,  and  many  similar 
novels  of  the  same  age  and  class,  in  vain  to  find  the  least  evidence  of 
that  order  of  sentiment  which  depends  on  national  tradition  or  reverence 
for  the  past.  Sir  Walter  Scott  was  the  first  historical  novelist  that 
England  produced.  Whether  he  gave  a  reliable  picture  of  social  life 
in  the  Middle  Ages  may  be  doubted.  It  is  the  province  of  such  a 
writer  to  deal  with  his  material  after  the  manner  of  all  artists.  He 
must  keep  virtues  for  his  hero  and  faults  for  those  who  cross  his  hero's 


1 


1 14  The  Romance  of  Archceology. 


path.  He  must  fiil  in  the  lights  and  shades  of  his  story  as  best  befits 
its  climax.  He  must  keep  probability  subservient  to  effect.  All  this 
Sir  Walter  did  to  perfection,  and  he  did  more.  He  drew  public  atten- 
tion to  the  romantic  side  of  archaeology.  It  had  hitherto  been  regarded 
as  a  formal  science.  He  charmed  it  into  an  attractive  art.  And  this  he 
accomplished  without  any  parade  of  the  special  knowledge  which  he  had 
acquired  in  the  study  of  old  English  life  and  its  picturesque  accessories. 
We  find  in  his  romances  none  of  that  laboured  accuracy  in  regard  to 
detail  which  has  characterised  the  writings  of  those  who  have  endea- 
voured in  a  similar  field  to  unite  the  taste  of  the  dilettante  with  the 
imagination  of  the  novelist.  In  reading  such  a  work  as  the  f  Last 
Days  of  Pompeii/  one  is  struck  with  the  palpable  effort  which  its 
author  makes  to  describe  and  turn  to  dramatic  account  the  latest 
facts  and  discoveries  concerning  the  disinterred  city.  Scarcely  an  in- 
cident is  recorded,  scarcely  a  scene  is  described,  which  does  not  reveal 
the  narrator's  aim  at  correctness  in  his  studies  of  what  a  painter 
would  call  c  still  life.'  It  is  as  if  he  had  invoked  the  shade  of  Sir 
William  Hamilton  instead  of  the  Muse  of  Fiction  to  aid  him  in 
his  task,  and  had  composed  his  story  after  spending  a  week  in  the 
Museo  Bourbonico. 

With  far  more  subtle  skill  and  magic  power,  Scott  entered  on  his 
work.  The  pictures  which  he  sets  before  us  of  life  in  the  Middle 
Ages  are  not  encumbered  with  needless  minutias  of  material  fact.  The 
aspect  of  the  dwellings,  the  costume,  the  household  gods  of  our  ances- 
tors, is  not  indeed  forgotten,  but  they  are  not  allowed  to  obtrude  on 
the  reader's  attention,  and  they  are  always  kept  subordinate  to  the 
interest  which  is  elicited  by  character  and  conversation.  It  is  some- 
what remarkable  that  the  'Antiquary,'  a  novel  in  which  Scott  might  have 
found  it  easy  to  display  his  acquaintance  with  the  relics  of  ancient  art, 
should  contain  so  little  evidence  of  the  author's  taste  in  that  direction. 
Mr.  Oldbuck,  who  is  familiar  with  the  rare  quarto  of  the  Augsburg 
Confession,  who  is  an   authority  in  heraldic    matters,   whose  wrath    is 


Progress  of  Mediceval  sen ti incut.  115 


kindled  by  the  spurious  poems  of  Ossian,  and  who  quotes  everything 
he  has  read  from  Virgil  to  a  Border  ballad,  would  have  cut  a  poor 
figure  in  the  Camden  Society.  He  collects  indeed  Roman  lamps,  and 
Scottish  thumbscrews,  but  for  aught  we  can  gather  from  his  discourse, 
he  knows  no  more  of  Jedburgh  Abbey  than  of  the  Palace  of  the  Caesars. 

The  Mediaeval  sympathies  which  Scott  aroused  were  enlisted  less  by 
reference  to  the  relics  of  Pointed  architecture  than  by  the  halo  of 
romance  which  he  contrived  to  throw  around  them.  The  fortunes  of 
the  Disinherited  Knight,  the  ill-requited  love  of  poor  Rebecca,  the  very 
jokes  of  Wamba  and  the  ditties  of  the  Bare-footed  Friar,  did  more  for 
the  Gothic  Revival  than  all  the  labours  of  Carter  and  Rickman.  The 
description  of  the  desecrated  church  in  the  c  Abbot '  excites  our  interest 
not  merely  because  its  niches  have  been  emptied  and  its  altar  despoiled, 
but  because  it  forms  a  background  to  the  figures  of  Magdalen  and 
Roland.  The  castles  of  the  Rhine  appear  to  every  modern  tourist 
picturesque  monuments  of  antiquity,  but  they  acquire  a  double  charm 
in  association  with  the  story  of  l  Anne  of  Geierstein.' 

It  would  be  difficult  to  overrate  the  influence  which  Scott's  poetry 
has  had  on  both  sides  of  the  Tweed,  in  encouraging  a  national  taste 
for  Mediaeval  architecture.  Every  line  in  the  c  Lay  of  the  Last  Min- 
strel,' every  incident  in  ( Marmion,'  is  pregnant  with  that  spirit  of 
romance  which  is  the  essence  of  traditional  art.  The  time  may 
perhaps  have  now  arrived  when  the  popular  mind  can  dispense 
with  the  spell  of  association,  and  learn  to  admire  Gothic  for  its  intrinsic 
beauty.  But  in  the  early  part  of  this  century,  England  could  boast 
of  no  such  author  as  Mr.  Ruskin,  to  teach,  discriminate,  and  criti- 
cise, in  matters  of  taste.  Guided  by  his  advice  and  influence,  we 
may  succeed  in  kindling  the  Lamps  of  Life  and  Power.  But  fifty 
years  ago,  in  the  darkest  period  which  British  art  has  seen,  we  were 
illumined  by  one  solitary  and  flickering  flame,  which  Scott  contrived 
to  keep  alive.      It  was  the  Lamp  of  Memory. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear  to  us  in  these  days  of  advanced  ritualism, 

1  2 


1 1 6  Domestic  Architecture. 

the  earliest  instances  of  the  application  of  Gothic  as  a  definite  style  at 
that  period  were  to  be  found,  not  in  the  churches,  but  in  the  mansions 
of  modern  England.  In  our  own  time,  the  most  bigoted  opponents  of 
the  style  are  generally  found  to  admit  that  if  unsuitable  for  a  dwelling, 
it  may  with  propriety  be  employed — to  use  their  own  language — for  a 
1  place  of  worship.'  But  when  Scott  was  in  the  zenith  of  his  fame,  the 
reverse  of  this  opinion  would  appear,  at  first  sight,  to  have  prevailed. 
While  many  country  houses  of  the  nobility  and  gentry  were  designed, 
or  rebuilt,  in  what  was  then  known  as  the  Castellated  style,  almost 
every  modern  church  that  was  erected  aped  the  general  arrangement 
of  a  Gretk  temple,  or  the  pseudo-classic  type  of  the  Renaissance. 

The  explanation  of  this  apparent  anomaly  becomes  obvious  when  we 
remember  the  condition  of  things  under  which  it  occurred.  In  the  first 
place,  the  revived  taste  for  Mediaeval  Architecture  was  as  yet  caviare  to 
the  multitude.  It  seemed  but  natural  that  the  landed  proprietors — the 
heads  of  ancient  families,  the  source  of  whose  lineage  was  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  the  early  welfare  of  this  country — should  feel  some  interest 
in  a  style  which  kept  alive  the  memories  of  the  past,  and  symbolised  at 
once  the  romance  of  history  and  the  pride  of  name.  But  the  majority 
of  parsons  and  churchwardens,  the  committee-men  and  vestrymen,  of 
a  town  parish,  could  scarcely  be  expected  to  participate  in  these  senti- 
ments. Their  notions  of  grand  architecture  were  linked  to  the  Five 
Orders,  or  based  on  a  glimpse  of  Stuart's  Athens;  their  ideas  of  devotion 
were  centered  in  the  family  pew.  And  it  was  only  in  town  parishes 
that  the  church  architect  then  found  exercise  for  his  ability.  The 
expediency  of  providing  additional  churches  for  the  increasing  population 
of  rural  districts  was  a  problem  which  had  not  as  yet  presented  itself  to 
the  parochial  mind.  And  it  must  be  confessed  that  if  it  had,  the  ne- 
cessity of  acting  on  it  would  have  been  doubtful.  A  large  parish  does 
not  always,  and  certainly  did  not  in  those  days,  mean  a  large  congrega- 
tion. In  plain  language,  it  would  have  been  absurd  to  build  new  churches 
while  the  old  ones  remained  half  filled.      How  far  the  clergy,  and  how 


TJie  Church  of  '  the  Period'  1 17 

far  the  people  themselves,  were  responsible  for  this  state  of  things,  it 
is  difficult  to  estimate.  But  of  one  fact  we  may  be  quite  sure,  that 
at  this  period  the  Church  of  England  had  lost  its  hold  on  popular 
favour,  and  ecclesiastical  sentiment  was  almost  unknown.  No  doubt 
much  of  the  apathy  which  then  prevailed  was  due  to  the  uninteresting 
character  of  the  service  and  all  that  pertained  to  it.  To  the  zealous 
artist  or  devotee  of  the  present  day,  the  interior  of  a  church  fitted  up 
at  that  period  would  have  presented  indeed  a  melancholy  spectacle. 
We  must  tax  the  recollections  of  our  childhood,  if  we  would  realise  to 
some  extent  the  cold  and  vapid  nature  of  the  ceremonies  which  passed 
for  public  devotion  in  the  days  of  our  grandfathers. 

Who  does  not  remember  the  air  of  grim  respectability  which  per- 
vaded, and  in  some  cases  still  pervades,  the  modern  town  church  of  a 
certain  type,  with  its  big  bleak  portico,  its  portentous  beadle,  and  muffin- 
capped  charity  boys  ?     Enter  and  notice  the  tall  neatly  grained  witness- 
boxes  and  jury-boxes  in  which  the  faithful  are  impanelled  ;  the  f  three- 
decker  '  pulpit  placed    in  the  centre  of  the  building ;    the  lumbering 
gallery  which  is  carried  round  three  sides  of  the  interior  on  iron  columns  ; 
the  wizen-faced  pew-opener  eager  for  stray  shillings ;  the  earnest  penitent 
who  is  inspecting  the  inside  of  his  hat ;  the  patent  warming  apparatus  ; 
the  velvet  cushions  which  profane  the  altar;   the  hassocks  which  no  one 
kneels  on ;  the  poor-box  which  is  always  empty.      Hear  how  the  clerk 
drones  out  the  responses  for  a  congregation  too  genteel  to  respond  for 
themselves.     Listen  to  the  complicated  discord  in  which  the  words  of 
the  Psalmist  strike  the  ear,  after  copious  revision  by  Tate  and  Brady. 
Mark  the  prompt,  if  misdirected  zeal,  with  which  old  ladies  insist  on 
testing  the  accuracy  of  the  preacher's  memory  by  turning  out  the  text. 
Observe  the   length,  the  unimpeachable  propriety,  the  overwhelming 
dulness  of  his  sermon  ! 

Such  was  the  Church,  and  such  the  form  of  worship  which  prevailed 
in  England  while  this  century  was  still  in  its  teens.  It  may  have 
been,  and  probably  was,  well  suited  to  the  religious  feeling  of  the  day. 


u8  Dr.  Milner. 


The  reaction  which  has  since  ensued  may  have  its  errors  and  its  dan- 
gers. But  one  fact  is  certain,  that  that  art,  with  the  history  of  which 
we  have  alone  to  deal  in  these  pages,  had  sunk  at  this  period  to  its 
lowest  level,  and  required  the  services  of  more  than  one  doughty 
champion  to  rescue  it  from  oblivion. 

It  is  a  common  error  to  suppose  that  the  Church  of  Rome  has  en- 
couraged to  any  great  extent,  or  for  any  special  purpose,  the  Revival  of 
Gothic  Architecture.  Those  who  have  witnessed  the  gorgeous  ceremonial 
with  which  her  rites  are  celebrated  in  Italy,  will  be  aware  how  utterly  in- 
dependent they  have  become  of  any  association  with  Mediaeval  usage,  so 
far  as  outward  appearance  and  ecclesiastical  appointments  are  concerned. 
It  is,  however,  remarkable  that  two  of  the  first,  and  in  their  time  un- 
questionably the  most  eminent,  apologists  for  the  revival  of  the  style  in 
this  country  were  Roman  Catholics,  viz.  Milner  and  Pugin.  Beyond 
the  fact  that  their  creeds  and  their  architectural  tastes  were  in  common, 
no  parallel  can  be  drawn  between  them.  Both,  indeed,  contributed  to 
the  literature  of  art,  but  under  different  conditions,  at  a  different  time, 
and  in  a  very  different  vein.  Dr.  Milner  was  a  priest  and  a  bishop  of 
his  Church.  Pugin  was  a  layman  and  a  professed  architect.  Dr. 
Milner  wrote  with  the  sober  judgment  of  an  antiquary;  Pugin  with 
the  fiery  enthusiasm  of  a  religious  convert.  Finally,  Milner,  who  was 
born  in  1752,  preceded  Pugin  by  nearly  half  a  century. 

It  was  in  the  year  1792  that  Dr.  Milner  resolved  to  build  a  new 
chapel  at  Winchester,  in  place  of  one  which,  erected  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  had  fallen  into  a  ruinous  state.  Of  this  work  he  says  (in  his 
'  History  of  Winchester  ')  : — 

Instead  of  following  the  modern  style  of  building  churches  and  chapels,  which 
are  in  general  square  chambers  with  small  sash  windows  and  fashionable  decora- 
tions hardly  to  be  distinguished,  when  the  altars  and  benches  are  removed,  from 
common  assembly  rooms,  it  was  concluded  upon  to  imitate  the  models  in  this 
kind  which  have  been  left  to  us  by  our  religious  ancestors,  who  applied  them- 
selves to  the  cultivation  and  perfection  of  ecclesiastical  architecture. 


TJie  Antiquities  of  Winchester.  119 


Although  competent  to  give  general  instructions  for  the  execution  of 
this  work,  Dr.  Milner  had  the  good  sense  to  seek  the  professional 
assistance  of  Mr.  John  Carter,  of  whose  talents  he  always  had  a  very 

high  opinion. 

'  I  know  one  man,  indeed,'  he  writes  in  one  of  his  essays,  f  who  is 
eminently  qualified  to  direct  any  work  of  this  nature,  and  who,  without 
either  an  original  or  a  copy  to  look  at,  could  sit  down  and  make  pure 
and  perfect  drawings  for  any  kind  of  building  in  the  Pointed  Style,  from 
a  monument  to  a  cathedral,  according  to  any  one  of  its  different  periods. 

But  this  architect is  so  inflexibly  strict  in  adhering  to  ancient 

rules  and  practice,  that  he  would  not  build  for  a  prince  who  should 
require  the  slightest  deviation  from  them.' 

This  was  high  praise  in  1800.  In  some  respects,  perhaps,  it  would 
be  higher  praise  at  the  present  day. 

The  chapel  is  described  by  Dr.  Milner  himself  as  c  a  light  Gothic 
building,  coated  with  stucco  resembling  freestone,  with  mullioned 
windows,  shelving  buttresses,  a  parapet  with  open  quatrefoils,  and 
crocketed  pinnacles  terminating  in  gilt  crowns.'  This  description  is 
not  very  suggestive  of  the  glories  of  Gothic  art  in  its  modern  Revival. 
But  if  we  remember  the  benighted  period  at  which  it  was  written,  we 
may  be   thankful  for  this  link,  however  humble,  in   the  chain  of  our 

history. 

Dr.  Milner's  f  Survey  of  the  Antiquities  of  Winchester,'  a  carefully 
written  and,  for  its  time,  an  erudite  work,  was  chiefly  remarkable 
for  the  short,  but  now  famous  essay  which  it  contained,  f  On  the  Rise 
and  Progress  of  the  Pointed  Arch.'  This  essay,  together  with  three 
others  by  Professor  Warton,  the  Rev.  J.  Bentham,  and  Capt.  Grose,  all 
bearing  on  the  subject  of  Gothic  Architecture,  were  published  by  Taylor 
in  1 800,  with  an  introductory  letter  by  Milner.  To  dilate  on  the  various 
opinions  expressed  by  these  gentlemen  would  probably  be  tedious, 
and  would  certainly  not  be  edifying  to  the  reader  of  these  pages.  Dr. 
Milner  himself  seems  inclined  to  lose  patience  with  two  of  the  learned 


i2o  M Unci's  Literary  Works. 

antiquaries,  who,  differing  in  their  nomenclature,  are  at  variance  on  the 
question,  whether  Salisbury  Cathedral  is  or  is  not  a  Gothic  structure. 
In  his  own  Essay  and  Introduction,  which  form  the  most  interesting  part 
of  the  volume,  he  uses  for  the  first  time  an  expression  which  has  since 
been  universally  accepted  as  a  generic  term  for  the  Architecture  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  viz.  the  Pointed  Style. 

The  origin  of  the  Pointed  Arch  has  proved  a  subject  of  as  much 
fruitless  discussion  as  the  authorship  of  Junius,  or  the  identification  of 
the  Man  in  the  Iron  Mask.  In  Britton's  Architectural  Antiquities 
alone  no  fewer  than  sixty-six  different  theories  appear  on  the  subject. 
Milner's  had  at  least  the  merit  of  simplicity.  But  the  origin  of  the 
Pointed  Arch,  as  Mr.  Fergusson  has  justly  observed,  is  after  all  far  less 
important  than  the  history  of  its  use,  and  the  light  which  the  last- 
mentioned  work  has  thrown  upon  that  history  is  worth  all  the 
countless  conjectures  regarding  a  structural  feature  whose  form  was 
probably  defined  by  expedience  rather  than  by  sentimental  or  aesthetic 
considerations. 

In  1810,  Milner  was  invited  by  Dr.  Rees  to  furnish  an  article  on 
Gothic  Architecture  for  his  Encyclopaedia.  The  research  necessary 
for  this  purpose  led  to  the  publication  of  a  c  Treatise  on  the  Ecclesiasti- 
cal Architecture  of  England  during  the  Middle  Ages,'  which  appeared 
in  the  following  year — a  scholar-like  and  interesting  work,  which  it  is 
impossible  to  peruse  without  feeling  how  far  its  author  was  in  advance 
of  his  time,  not  only  as  an  antiquary,  but  as  a  man  of  taste.  To  him 
we  are  indebted  for  one  of  the  earliest  protests  against  the  injudicious 
restoration,  or  rather  remodelling,  of  our  ancient  cathedrals.  The 
works  carried  out  under  Wyatt's  professional  direction  at  Durham  and 
at  Salisbury  had  given,  as  we  have  seen,  great  dissatisfaction  among 
the  antiquaries  of  the  day.  Dr.  Milner  became  their  spokesman  in  a 
pamphlet  entitled  '  A  Dissertation  on  the  Modern  Style  of  altering 
Ancient  Cathedrals,  as  exemplified  in  the  Cathedral  of  Salisbury.'  His 
charges    against   Wyatt   were   thus  summed  up  :  '  the  loss  of  several 


Milner  s  Attack  on  Wyatt.  121 

valuable  monuments  of  antiquity ;  the  violation  of  the  ashes  and  the 
memorials  of  many  illustrious  personages  of  former  times,  and  the  de- 
struction of  the  proportions,  and  of  the  due  relation  of  the  different 
parts  of  the  Cathedral.' 

These  were  serious  charges,  and  that  they  were  made  with  some  acri- 
mony may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  Essay,  which  was  to 
have  been  read  before  the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  had  to  be  withdrawn. 
It  was,  however,  printed  in  1798  with  the  well-known  lines  from 
Horace,  '  Humano  capiti,'  &c,  significantly  prefixed  as  a  motto  on  the 
title-page.  Whatever  opinion  we  may  now  form  of  the  justice  of  Mil- 
ner's  strictures  upon  Wyatt,  it  is  impossible  to  help  admiring  the 
shrewdness  with  which  they  are  supported  by  arguments  the  very  essence 
of  which  proves  the  writer's  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  leading 
principles  of  Mediasval  design.  Thus,  in  referring  to  the  so-called 
c  uniformity,'  then  wrongly  considered  to  be  an  essential  element  of 
Ecclesiastical  Architecture,  he  says  : — 

This  I  have  proved  to  be  contrary  to  the  original  nature  and  design  of 
Cathedrals,  and  likewise  to  the  form  in  which  they  are  everywhere  built.  For 
when  the  Lady  Chapel  is  let  into  the  Choir  of  Salisbury  Church,  does  it  form 
one  and  the  same  room  in  conjunction  with  it  ?  No  more  than  a  small  cham- 
ber does  with  an  adjoining  spacious  hall  when  the  door  of  it  is  left  open.  And 
when  the  transepts  are  swept  clean  of  their  chapels  and  monuments,  and  nothing 
is  seen  in  them  but  the  naked  high  whitewashed  walls,  do  they  assimilate  and 
become  uniform  with  the  lengthened  halls  which  these  gentlemen  are  so  fond  of?. 
By  no  means.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  plain  that  they  would  destroy  them  also 
if  it  were  in  their  power  to  do  so. 

Milner  was  well  pleased  to  find  that  Horace  Walpole  (then  Lord 
Orford)  entirely  agreed  with  him  on  this  point,  and  had  so  expressed 
himself  in  a  letter  to  Gough,  which  the  author  took  care  to  print  at  the 
end  of  his  Essay. 

Midway  in  point  of  time  between  Milner  and  Pugin,  and  possessing, 
though  in  a  minor  degree,  the  talents  of  both,  Thomas  Rickman,  as  an 


122  Thomas  Rickmau. 


architect  and  author,  plays  no  unimportant  part  in  the  history  of  the 
Revival.  His  churches  are  perhaps  the  first  of  that  period  in  which  the 
details  of  old  work  were  reproduced  with  accuracy  of  form.  Up  to 
this  time  antiquaries  had  studied  the  principles  of  Mediaeval  architecture, 
and  to  some  extent  classified  the  phases  through  which  it  had  passed, 
while  architects  had  indirectly  profited  by  their  labours  when  endeavour- 
ing to  imitate  in  practice  the  works  of  the  Middle  Ages.  Rickman 
united  both  functions  in  one  man.  He  had  examined  the  best  examples 
of  Gothic  with  the  advantage  of  technical  information.  He  did  his 
best  to  design  it  after  the  advantage  of  personal  study.  In  the  science 
of  his  art  he  will  not,  of  course,  bear  comparison  with  Willis.  In  the 
analysis  of  its  general  principles  he  must  yield  to  Whevvell.  In  capa- 
bility of  invention  he  ranks,  even  for  his  time,  far  below  Pugin.  But 
it  may  be  fairly  questioned  whether;  if  we  consider  him  in  the  twofold 
capacity  of  a  theorist  and  a  practitioner,  he  did  not  do  greater  service 
to  the  cause  than  either  his  learned  contemporaries  or  his  enthusiastic 
disciple. 

It  is  probable  that  what  may  be  called  the  grammar  of  Mediaeval 
architecture  interested  him  more  than  its  constructive  problems  or  its 
religious  associations.  With  the  latter  indeed  he  could  have  had  but 
little  sympathy.  As  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends  he  must, 
in  the  course  of  his  studies,  have  investigated  with  mixed  feelings  the 
iconography  and  symbolism  of  a  faith  so  intimately  allied  with  his 
beloved  Gothic — so  distantly  removed  from  the  simplicity  of  his  early 
creed.  Whether  he  laid  aside  his  scruples  so  far  as  to  bow  down  (with 
aesthetic  reverence  at  least)  in  the  House  of  Rimmon — or  whether  he 
sensibly  considered  that  his  conscience  was  not  committed  by  his  taste, 
we  need  not  stop  to  enquire.  Certain  it  is  that  Rickman  was  largely 
employed  by  the  clergy  for  ecclesiastical  and  other  works  in  various 
parts  of  England.  In  Bristol,  Birmingham,  Leeds,  Preston,  Liverpool, 
Carlisle,  and  Canterbury,  to  say  nothing  of  smaller  towns  and  villages, 
he  erected  churches.     In  Northumberland  he  designed  a  mansion  for 


Sf.   Georges  CJiureli,  Birmingham.  123 

Sir  E.  Blackett ;  in  Staffordshire  another  for  Miss  Herickes.  Barfield 
Lodge,  near  Bristol,  Brunstock  House,  near  Carlisle,  and  two  residences 
(one  for  Colin  Campbell)  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Liverpool,  were 
either  executed  or  rebuilt  under  his  instructions.  To  measure  such 
works  as  these  by  the  standard  of  modern  taste  in  Gothic  would  be 
obviously  unfair.  To  enter  on  any  detailed  account  of  their  design,  to 
attempt  to  fix  their  precise  position  as  links  in  the  chain  of  the  Gothic 
Revival,  would  be  tedious.  It  suffices  to  know  that  Rickman  worked 
according  to  the  light  which  was  in  him.  It  was  indeed  a  light  of  no 
great  brilliancy,  but  he  turned  it  to  good  account,  and  it  served  in  his 
day  as  a  beacon  to  many,  who  without  it  would  have  groped  in  utter 
darkness. 

St.  George's  Church  at  Birmingham,  built  in  1822,  may  be  accepted 
as  a  fair  specimen  of  Rickman's  ability  in  design.  Its  style  may  be 
described  as  late  Middle  Pointed.  It  consists  of  a  lofty  nave,  with 
clerestory,  north  and  south  aisles,  a  square  tower  at  the  west,  and  flanked 
by  porches,  and  a  sort  of  parvise  at  the  east,  connected  with  the  main 
body  of  the  church  by  flying  buttresses.  The  window  tracery  is  remark- 
ably good  in  motive,  but,  sad  to  say,  is  all  executed  in  cast  iron.  For 
this  unfortunate  solecism  various  reasons  might  be  assigned,  the  most 
probable  one  being  that  it  was  a  cheap  means  of  obtaining  an  effective 
fenestration.  Yet  it  is  remarkable  that  no  other  structural  meanness  is 
observable  in  other  parts  of  the  building.  The  walls  are  of  fair  thick- 
ness, stouter  indeed  than  those  in  some  of  Pugin's  churches.  The 
tower,  especially  its  upper  part,  is  well  designed  ;  and  but  for  the  rigidly 
formal  arrangement  of  its  subordinate  features,  the  west  end  would  have 
been  an  effective  composition.  Internally,  the  nave  arches  have  a 
bolder  span,  and  the  aisle  windows  are  splayed'  more  deeply  than  was 
usual  in  contemporary  work.  The  roofs  of  both  nave  and  aisles  are 
flat,  and  divided  by  ribs  into  square  panels.  It  was  only  in  later 
years  that  the  high  pitched  and  open  timber  roof  was  recognised  as  an 
essential  feature  both  for  internal  and  external  effect. 


124  Rickman' s  Literary  Works. 

The  reredos,  though  of  a  design  which  we  should  now  call  common- 
place, is  unobjectionable  in  proportion,  and  really  refined  in  detail.  The 
introduction  of  galleries  in  the  aisles  was  an  inevitable  concession  to  the 
utilitarian  spirit  of  the  age.  In  dealing  with  them  it  is,  however,  only 
fair  to  state  that  Rickman  left  them  independent  of  the  nave  arcade, 
and  not  as  now  intruding  on  it.* 

It  would  be  curious  to  compare  the  cost  of  such  a  church  as  this 
with  that  of  one — one  of  many  hundreds — which  has  been  erected 
in  our  own  time  for  a  congregation  of  similar  number.  If  experience 
has  taught  the  modern  architect  anything,  it  ought  to  have  taught  him 
this,  that  when  there  is  but  little  money  to  spare,  it  should  be  devoted 
to  stability  of  construction,  to  sturdy  walls,  stout  rafters,  and  efficient 
workmanship.  Judicious  proportion  and  a  picturesque  distribution  of 
parts  will  always  atone,  and  more  than  atone,  for  the  absence  of  merely 
decorative  features.  Fifty  years  ago  this  principle  was  not  understood. 
Walls  were  reduced  to  a  minimum  of  thickness,  buttresses  were 
pared  down  to  mere  pilasters,  roof  timbers  were  starved  of  their  just 
proportions,  while  the  cost  saved  by  this  miserable  economy  was  wasted 
on  the  loveless  carving  of  empty  niches,  and  redundant  pinnacles,  with 
bosses  and  crockets,  multiplied  ad  nauseam. 

The  study  of  ancient  examples  was  the  best  remedy  for  such  an 
egregious  error  of  judgment — an  error  which  Rickman,  by  his  researches 
rather  than  by  his  executed  works,  contrived  to  amend. 

In  i  819  he  published  at  Liverpool  his  ( Attempt  to  Discriminate  the 
Styles  of  English  Architecture' — a  little  book  which  undoubtedly  did 
great  service  both  in  educating  popular  taste  and  in  supplying  to  pro- 
fessional architects,  who  had  by  this  time   begun  to   try    their  'prentice 


*  In  the  churchyard  of  St.  George,  and  under  the  shadow  of  the  building  which  lie 
designed,  Rickman  himself  lies  buried.  A  canopied  monument  of  a  simple  Gothic 
character,  raised  by  some  of  his  friends  and  admirers,  marks  the  site  of  his  grave,  and  a 
modest  inscription,  briefly  referring  to  his  aim  in  life,  informs  us  that  he  died  in  1  841,  aged 
sixty-four. 


Rick  ma  lis  'Ancient  Examples.'1  125 

hands  at  Gothic,  a  recognised  standard  by  which  they  could  test  to  some 
extent  the  correctness  of  their  designs.  In  the  compilation  of  its  con- 
tents Rickman  was  probably  indebted  in  some  measure  to  the  labours 
of  his  predecessors,  but  he  was  the  first  to  turn  them  to  practical 
advantage.  Much  had  already  been  written  on  the  subject  of  Gothic. 
Endless  theories  had  been  propounded  as  to  the  origin  and  develop- 
ment of  style.  It  was  reserved  for  Rickman  to  reduce  the  result  of 
these  researches  to  a  systematic  and  compendious  form,  and  in  place  of 
ponderous  volumes  and  foggy  speculation,  to  provide  his  readers  with 
a  cheap  and  useful  handbook. 

It  is  a  remarkable  evidence  of  the  inferior  place  which  Mediaeval  Art 
still  occupied  in  public  estimation,  and  of  the  caution  necessary  in  any 
departure  from  the  much  revered  canons  of  classic  taste,  that  Rickman 
should  have  prefaced  his  book  with  a  formal  description  of  the  Five 
Orders.  What  possible  connection  they  can  have  had  with  c  English 
Architecture  from  the  Conquest  to  the  Reformation  '  it  is  difficult  to 
conceive,  and  one  can  only  suppose  that  this  first  portion  of  the  volume 
was  introduced  as  a  peace-offering  to  the  shade  of  Vitruvius. 

The  main  division  of  periods  adopted,  if  not  originated,  by  Rickman 
remains  unaltered  at  the  present  day.  The  nomenclature  of  the  various 
parts  of  a  church  has  been  but  little  modified.  The  popular  error  by 
which  Norman  work  was  still  supposed  to  be  the  work  of  Saxon  archi- 
tects he  pointed  out  and  refuted.  In  a  clear  and  methodical  manner 
every  feature  of  a  Mediaeval  building  is  taken  in  turn  and  described 
under  the  head  of  that  period  with  which  the  author  deals  in  chrono- 
logical order.  The  peculiar  characteristics  of  style  are  thus  brought 
prominently  forward  and  impressed  upon  the  reader's  mind.  In  matters 
of  detail  there  are,  no  doubt,  many  points  on  which  additional  light  has 
since  been  thrown.  But  a  better  system  of  instruction  than  that  which 
Rickman  employed  could  scarcely  have  been  devised.  The  engravings 
which  illustrate  the  text  are  few  and  coldly  executed,  but  they  serve 
their   purpose.      The   notes  appended    to    the  volume  c  On  Ancient 


126  yohn  Shaw's  Works. 

Examples  of  Gothic  Architecture  in  England,'  must  have  been  most 
useful  at  that  time  as  an  itinerary  to  the  Architectural  student.  The 
work  has  since  passed  through  several  editions,  enlarged  and  revised. 

The  fruits  of  Rickman's  labours  were  gradually  manifested  in  an 
improvement  not  only  of  public  taste  but  also  of  professional  skill. 
It  is  probable  that  many  of  the  then  young  and  rising  architects  of  the 
day  were  at  least  stimulated  by  his  example,  even  if  they  did  not  profit 
by  his  research,  in  the  study  of  Mediaeval  art.  Among  these  may  be 
mentioned  Shaw,  Scoles,  Salvin,  and  Poynter,  each  of  whom  played 
a  part,  more  or  less  conspicuous,  in  the  history  of  the  Revival. 

Before  the  first  quarter  of  the  present  century  expired  Mr.  John 
Shaw  had  made  some  important  additions  to  Christ's  Hospital,  which, 
if  they  did  not  exactly  revive  the  ancient  glory  of  {  Grey  Friars,'  were 
by  no  means  contemptible  specimens  of  modern  Gothic.  He  was  sub- 
sequently employed  to  design  the  present  hall,  which  is  erected  partly 
on  the  foundations  of  the  ancient  refectory  and  partly  on  the  site  of 
the  old  city  wall.  According  to  the  original  scheme,  it  had  been  pro- 
posed to  convert  the  old  hall  into  dormitories,  but  upon  examination  it 
proved  to  be  in  such  a  dilapidated  state,  that  it  was  condemned  to  de- 
struction, and  indeed  a  portion  of  it  fell  during  the  progress  of  the  modern 
building,  the  foundation-stone  of  which  was  laid  with  much  ceremony 
on  April  28,  1825.  The  interior  is  of  ample  dimensions,  being  187  feet 
long  by  52  in  width  and  48  feet  high.  It  has  a  ceiled  roof,  of  which  the 
main  timbers  are  moulded  and  decorated  with  pendants,  while  the  panels 
are  rendered  in  plaster,  coloured  in  imitation  of  oak.  The  hall  is 
lighted  on  the  south  side  by  nine  lofty  mullioned  windows,  divided  by 
transoms  in  the  centre.  It  is  remarkable  that,  although  these  windows 
are  crowned  with  four  centred  arches,  the  minor  lights  between  the 
mullions  are  lancet-pointed.  They  are  filled  with  stained  glass,  chiefly 
heraldic  in  decoration.  The  opposite  wall  is  panelled  to  a  height  of 
some  twelve  feet  in  deal,  grained  to  look  like  oak.  A  wood  screen  and 
organ-loft  at  the  east  end,  and  the  visitors'  gallery  at  the  west,  form 


Christ 's  Hospital.  1 2  7 


picturesque  features,  and  give  a  certain  character  to  the  interior,  which, 
though  sadly  deficient  in  refinement  of  detail,  is  on  the  whole  effective. 
The  hall  is  vaulted  underneath  with  flat  brick  arches,  which,  where  neces- 
sary— as  in  the  kitchen — are  carried  on  monolith  blocks  of  Dartmoor 
granite.  Neither  in  the  basement  nor  in  any  part  of  the  building  which 
is  out  of  public  sight  were  any  pains  taken  to  preserve  a  structural  con- 
sistency of  design.  The  Gothic  of  that  day  was,  it  must  be  confessed, 
little  better  than  a  respectable  deception.  It  put  a  good  face  on  its 
principal  elevations,  but  left  underground  offices  and  back  premises  to 
take  care  of  themselves.  The  superficial  qualities  of  the  style  were 
imitated  with  more  or  less  success,  but  the  practical  advantages  of  its 
adaptation  had  still  to  be  learned  and  appreciated. 

The  front  towards  Newgate  Street  may,  in  its  general  proportions,  lay 
claim  to  architectural  effect.  Its  open  cloister,  its  staircase  turrets,  its 
traceried  windows,  and  its  battlemented  parapet  may  be  described  as  well- 
intentioned  features  in  the  design,  which  fails,  as  many  a  Gothic  design 
of  this  period  failed,  not  from  a  positive  misuse  of  detail  either  con- 
structive or  ornamental,  but  from  the  coarse  and  clumsy  character  of 
its  execution.  Thus  the  subdivision  of  buttresses  into  two  equal  parts 
by  a  splayed  weathering  introduced  exactly  in  the  centre  of  their  height, 
the  exaggerated  projection  and  deep  undercutting  of  string  course 
mouldings,  the  employment  of  large  and  uniformly  sized  blocks  of 
stone  in  the  masonry  of  its  walls,  are  all  quite  opposed  to  the  spirit  of 
ancient  work.  Considered  separately  these  mistakes  may  seem  of  small 
importance  to  the  unprofessional  critic,  who  would,  perhaps,  fail  to 
recognise  them  as  mistakes  at  all.  It  is,  nevertheless,  such  points  as 
these  which  constitute  the  difference  between  poor  and  genuine  work. 
Many  an  amateur  has  examined  a  modern  church  or  group  of  school 
buildings,  feeling  generally  dissatisfied  with  a  result  which  seems — he 
knows  not  exactly  why — to  have  missed  the  spirit  of  ancient  art,  while 
professedly  aiming  at  its  conditions.  In  the  majority  of  such  cases  it  is 
the  details  which  are  at  fault,  and  these  are  precisely  what  the  uninitiated 


1 28  St.  Katharines  Hospital. 


know  nothing  about.  To  this  ignorance  may  be  attributed  much  of 
the  ill-deserved  praise  and  unjust  censure  which  is  occasionally  bestowed 
on  the  designs  of  modern  architects  by  the  public  press.  The  specious 
attractions  of  a  building  remarkable  for  its  size  or  the  profusion  of  its 
ornament  are  loudly  recognised,  while  thoughtful  and  scholarlike  work, 
if  it  present  itself  in  a  modest  form,  is  passed  over  as  commonplace,  or 
if  it  be  displayed  in  features  which  are  unfamiliar  to  a  conventional 
taste,  is  voted  eccentric  and  even  ugly. 

In  1826  St.  Katharine's  Hospital  was  begun  from  the  designs  of 
Mr.  A.  Poynter.  The  original  institution  was  of  great  antiquity,  and 
had  occupied  quarters  in  the  East  of  London,  on  a  site  now  occupied 
by  St.  Katharine's  Docks.  When  those  works  were  undertaken,  it 
became  necessary  to  remove  the  Hospital  elsewhere,  and  the  present 
group  of  buildings  was  erected  in  Regent's  Park.  In  plan  they  are 
symmetrically  disposed  round  three  sides  of  a  small  quadrangle.  The 
chapel  with  its  large  west  window  flanked  by  two  lofty  octagonal 
turrets  occupies  a  central  position,  and  is  connected  with  the  domestic 
buildings  right  and  left  of  it  by  open  screens  with  Tudor  arches. 
Internally  the  chapel  has  a  flat  ceiled  roof  of  oak  and  its  walls  are 
panelled  to  a  height  of  some  ten  feet  with  the  same  material.  Accord- 
ing to  the  fashion  of  the  day,  part  of  the  west  end  of  the  chapel  is 
screened  off  to  form  an  entrance  porch.  The  domestic  buildings  have 
ordinary  low-pitched  roofs,  mullioned  windows  and  obtuse  gabled 
dormers.  The  walls  are  of  white  brick  with  stone  dressings,  the 
chapel  being  faced  entirely  with  stone.  As  a  design  this  work  must  be 
judged  by  the  standard  of  its  day,  when  rigid  formality  of  composition 
was  an  inevitable  condition  of  all  plans,  from  a  cottage  to  a  palace,  and 
when  architects  made  a  little  Gothic  go  very  far.  The  details  of  St. 
Katharine's  Hospital  were  very  fair  for  their  time,  and  the  carving, 
especially  in  some  of  the  decorative  panels,  exhibits  no  small  advance  in 
design  and  workmanship. 

Mr.  A.  Salvin,  another  architect  whose  career  was  destined  to  be  one 


The  Works  of  A.  Salvin.  129 


of  great  success,  and  who,  throughout  his  life,  took  a  conspicuous  part 
in   the  Revival,  came   into  public   notice  about    this  time.      He  built 
Moreby  Hall,  in  Yorkshire,  for  Mr.  Henry  Preston — a  house  presenting 
no  remarkable  characteristics  beyond  the  evidence  which  it  affords  of  a 
gradual  return  to  the  manorial  Gothic  of  old  English  mansions.      The 
windows  are  square-headed,  and  are  provided  with  double  transoms  as 
well  as  mullions  of  stone.      The  roofs  are  raised — not,  indeed,  to  the 
high  pitch  which  should  properly  belong  to  the  style — but  at  an  angle 
of  about  450.      Chimney  shafts,  instead  of  being  kept  out  of  sicrht  or 
arranged  in  symmetrical  stacks  at  each  end  of  the  building,  are  allowed 
to  rise  where  they  are  most  needed,  and  being  designed  in  accordance 
with  the  rest  of  the  work,  become  picturesque  features  in  the  compo- 
sition.    Servants'  offices,  instead  of  being  crowded  at  the  back  of  the 
house  (an  almost  inevitable  condition  in  the  Palladian  villa),  are  planned 
so  as  to  extend  to  the  right  or  left  in  buildings  of  lesser  height,  and  thus 
give  scale  to  the  principal  front. 

The    facility  with   which    this  kind    of  domestic   Gothic  could   be 
adapted  to  the  requirements  of  any  sort  of  plan,  or  any  size  of  house 
which   the  owner   might  require,   was   probably   a  strong  plea   in  its 
favour.     Even  those  country  squires  and  landed  gentlemen  who  had 
affected  a  taste  for  classic  architecture,  began  to  ask  themselves  whether 
the  dignity  of  a  Greek  portico  or  an  Italian  facade  was  worth  the  incon- 
venience which  such  features  were  sure  to  entail  on  the  house  at  their 
rear ;  whether  there  was  not  some  greater  advantage  to  be  derived  from 
the  employment  of  a  style  which  was  not  only  thoroughly  English  in 
character  but  also  permitted  every  possible  caprice  regarding  the  distri- 
bution of  rooms  to  be  freely  indulged  without  detriment  to  the  design. 
Salvin  soon  found  ample  employment  for  his  talents,  and  it  is  but 
fair  to  add  that  every  work  executed  under  his  superintendence  shows 
a  steady  advance  in  his  knowledge  of  the  style  which  he  had  made  his 
special  study.      Mamhead,  the  seat  of  Robert  Newman,  near  Exeter, 
was  begun  in    1828,  and  occupied  some  years  in  erection.      The  size 


*  K 


130  Dr.  WhewelL 


and  importance  of  this  mansion,  no  less  than  the  skill  with  which,  tor 
that  day,  it  was  designed,  make  it  an  interesting  specimen  of  revived 
domestic  Gothic.  Scotney  Castle,  in  Sussex,  was  erected  some  years 
later,  for  Mr.  Edward  Hussey,  a  gentleman  of  great  taste  as  an 
amateur.  The  building  derives  its  name  from  an  exquisite  relic  of 
Mediaeval  fortified  architecture  still  standing  in  the  grounds.  The 
modern  mansion,  for  obvious  reasons,  did  not  aim  at  the  reproduction  of 
a  fourteenth- century  stronghold,  but  it  realises  many  of  the  picturesque 
features  of  a  Tudor  manor-house.  The  internal  fittings  are  remarkably 
good,  and  reflect  great  credit  on  the  skill  and  ingenuity  of  the  designer. 

Scoles  was  a  pupil  of  Ireland,  who,  as  a  Roman  Catholic  architect, 
was  patronised  by  Dr.  Milner — at  that  time  vicar-apostolic  of  the 
Midland  District.  Ireland  built  several  Roman  Catholic  Churches,  one 
of  the  earliest  of  which  was  that  at  Hinckley,  in  Nottinghamshire. 
It  is  probable  that  for  the  details  of  these  designs  he  was  indebted  to 
Carter's  supervision.  Scoles  himself  designed  a  church  at  St.  John's 
Wood,  which  was  afterwards  copied  at  Edgbaston,  near  Birmingham. 
The  churches  of  St.  Ignatius,  at  Preston,  and  St.  Peter,  at  Great 
Yarmouth,  are  also  specimens — and  by  no  means  bad  ones — of  his 
Gothic.  .  But  his  best  works  were  executed  at  a  later  period,  which 
our  History  has  not  yet  reached. 

In  1832,  Rickman,  accompanied  by  his  friend  Whewell  (afterwards 
the  famous  master  of  Trinity),  who  had  already  contributed  out  of  his 
vast  and  comprehensive  store  of  information  some  valuable  '  notes '  on 
German  Gothic,  spent  some  time  in  the  north  of  France,  and  visited  the 
chief  cathedral  towns  in  Picardy  and  Normandy  for  the  purpose  of 
architectural  study.  On  his  return,  he  addressed  to  the  Society  of  Anti- 
quaries a  series  of  letters  descriptive  of  his  tour.  These  were  afterwards 
published  in  the  c  Archaeologia  '  of  the  Society.  It  is  interesting  to 
think  of  the  simple  Quaker  and  his  clever,  shrewd-headed  companion 
linked  together  by  a  bond  of  common  admiration  for  Mediaeval  Art, 
and  with  the  same  purpose  exploring  the  magnificent  relics  of  ancient 


Foreign  Gothic.  131 


architecture  at  Rouen,  Abbeville,  and  Amiens ;  sketching,  noting, 
and  measuring  at  Lisieux,  Caen,  and  Coutances.  Few  objects  out  of 
the  range  of  art  could  thus  have  brought  into  close  association  men  of 
such  opposite  lives,  ambitions,  and  temperaments. 

The  comparison  which  Rickman  drew  between  the  Mediaeval  re- 
mains in  France  and  England  have  been  most  useful  in  determining 
the  history  of  style  and  the  various  influences  to  which  it  has  been 
subject.  Whewell's  notes  on  the  same  journey  are  well  known,  and 
afford  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  success  with  which  an  amateur, 
backed  by  generally  scientific  education  and  encouraged  by  enthusiasm, 
may  investigate  and  speculate  on  a  subject  for  the  technical  details  of 
which  he  has  had  no  special  training.  His  comparison  of  French  and 
English  '  decorated '  is  all  the  more  interesting  because  the  study  of 
continental  Gothic  has  greatly  increased  of  late  years,  and  we  have 
borrowed  so  much  from  our  neighbours  across  the  Channel,  that  there 
was  at  one  time  some  fear  of  our  losing  all  national  characteristics  in 
modern  design. 

Happily  a  reaction  is  already  taking  place.  That  it  will  be  uni- 
versal in  its  effects  or  exclusive  in  its  tendency  need  not  be  feared.  But 
thoughtful  men  are  beginning  to  feel  that  the  wholesale  and  sudden 
importation  of  a  foreign  style  subject,  as  it  must  be,  to  perversions  and 
misadaptations  by  the  uneducated,  will  work  no  good  for  the  national 
architecture  of  this  country.  The  changes  which  mark  the  progress  of 
that  art  in  past  ages  have  been  always  gradual,  and  were  brought  about 
not  by  the  whims  of  individual  caprice,  but  by  a  concourse  of  events 
of  which  they  became  a  material  and  lasting  record.  We  must  learn  to 
labour  and  to  wait.  It  will  be  time  enough  to  think  of  improving  on 
the  taste  of  our  forefathers  when  we  have  learned  to  realise  the  period 
of  its  highest  perfection,  and  when  we  have  identified  and  rejected  those 
errors  which  first  led  to  its  decline. 


K  2 


132  The  Pointed  ArcJi  Question. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

HOSE  disinterested  outsiders  who  are  content  to  survey  the 
'  Battle  of  the  Styles  '  from  neutral  ground,  would  be  not  a 
little  surprised  to  find,  on  closer  scrutiny,  how  much  of  civil 
warfare  exists  on  either  side.     If  it  were  merely  a  question  of  Goth 
against  Greek,  of  arch  against  lintel,  the  issue  might  be  dubious,  but 
the   cause  of  strife  would   be    plain   and   intelligible.     As   it   is,   the 
partisans  of  Mediaeval  art,  at  least,  have  been  divided  against  them- 
selves by  constant  faction.     We  have  been  disputing  for  upwards  of 
half  a  century  as  to  what  really  constitutes  the  style  which  we  desire  to 
uphold.     Its  very   name  is  still  a   vexed  question.      lfy  then,  doubts 
prevail  in  our  own  day,  with  all  the  light  which  has  been  thrown  on 
this   much-discussed   subject,   it   is   not  difficult   to  imagine  the    per- 
plexities which  arose  in  the  minds  of  those  who,  fifty  years  ago,  in  turn 
assumed  the  championship  of  Gothic.      The  theories  then  individually 
propounded,  regarding  the  origin  of  the  style,  outnumbered  in  extent 
and  diversity  those  which  have  arisen  from  time  to  time  about  the  use 
of  Stonehenge.     Some  writers  ascribed  the  form  of  the  Pointed  arch 
to  the  intersection  of  round  arches  ;  some  found  a  prototype  in  the 
interlacing  branches  of  trees  ;  others  recognised  in  its  outline  the  sacred 
Vesica  ;  while  a  fourth  and  more  romantic  kind  of  speculator  insisted 
that  it  was  but  a  symbol  of  the  human  hands  raised  upwards  in  an 
attitude  of  prayer  ! 

The  introduction,  or  development  of  the  style  in  this  country, 
became  a  subject  of  endless  controversy.  Evelyn,  in  a  previous  age, 
had  not  hesitated  to  express  his  opinion  that  '  the  Goths  and  Vandals, 


Theories  on  the  Origin  of  Gothic.  133 


having  demolished  the  Greek  and  Roman  architecture,  introduced  in  its 
stead  a  certain  fantastical  and  licentious  manner  of  building,  which  we 
have  since  called  modern,  or  Gothic'  Wren  endorsed  this  opinion, 
and  there  the  matter  rested  for  a  while,  but  in  the  beginning  of  this 
century,  various  arguments  were  again  rife.  The  style  was  Gothic  ;  it 
was  Saracenic  ;  it  had  been  brought  to  England  by  the  crusaders  ;  it 
had  been  invented  by  the  Moors  in  Spain  ;  it  was  an  adaptation  of  the 
designs  of  Dioti  Salvi  ;  it  might  be  traced  to  the  pyramids  of  Egypt. 
One  ingenious  theorist  endeavoured  to  reconcile  all  opinions  in  his 
comprehensive  hypothesis  that  c  the  style  of  architecture  which  we  call 
cathedral  or  monastic  Gothic,  was  manifestly  a  corruption  of  the  sacred 
architecture  of  the  Greeks  or  Romans,  by  a  mixture  of  the  Moorish  or 
Saracenesque,  which  is  formed  out  of  a  combination  of  Egyptian, 
Persian,  and  Hindoo  !  ' 

The  labours  of  Milner,  of  Rickman,  and  of  Whewell,  helped  in 
their  several  ways  to  check  the  extravagance  of  these  notions,  and  to 
dissipate  the  cloud  of  doubt  and  ignorance  by  which  the  history  of 
Mediaeval  art  had  been  hitherto  enveloped.  Before  their  time  the  taste 
for  Gothic,  such  as  it  was,  and  so  far  as  the  general  public  were  con- 
cerned, had  been  but  a  sentiment,  chiefly  based  on  the  more  romantic 
associations  of  our  national  history,  and  in  a  few  rare  instances  on  a 
lingering  attachment  to  the  faith  of  our  forefathers.  The  material 
characteristics  of  the  style  had  hitherto  been  examined  neither  in  an 
artistic  nor  a  practical  sense.  Even  the  antiquaries  had  blundered  in 
their  dates  and  definitions.  Those  who  would  form  a  just  estimate  of  the 
popular  taste  for  old  English  Architecture,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last 
century  and  in  the  beginning  of  the  present,  need  only  examine  any  of 
the  so-called  Gothic  buildings  of  that  period  to  perceive  the  utter  want 
of  discrimination  which  then  existed,  not  only  regarding  what  may  be 
called  the  unities  of  the  style,  but  also  regarding  the  use  and  just  pro- 
portion of  its  most  accentuated  features.  In  those  days  a  pointed  arch 
was  a  pointed  arch*      The  position  of  the  centres   from  which  it  was 


134  Modern  Gothic  Sculpture. 


struck,  the  profile  of  the  mouldings  by  which  it  was  enriched,  the 
depth  of  wall  in  which  it  was  inserted,  were  matters  of  little  moment. 
In  like  manner  the  buttress  and  the  pinnacle  were  introduced  here  and 
there,  with  little  reference  to  their  structural  service,  and  with  certainly 
no  regard  for  their  artistic  form.  One  of  the  chief  glories  of  old 
northern  buildings,  as  Mr.  Ruskin  has  justly  pointed  out,  had  been  the 
high  pitched  roof.  This  was  a  feature  which  especially  suffered  in 
treatment  during  the  decline  of  Gothic  in  Tudor  days,  when  its 
angle  was  allowed  to  become  more  and  more  obtuse.  In  the  earliest 
days  of  the  Revival  it  was  held  of  no  importance  whatever,  and  was 
frequently  so  flat  as  to  be  concealed  by  the  parapet  of  the  building 
which  it  covered. 

But  in  no  particular  was  the  Gothic  of  our  grandfathers'  time  more 
singularly  deficient  than  in  the  character  of  its  carved  work  and  orna- 
mental detail.     A  general  impression  seemed  to  exist  that  although  the 
decorative  sculpture   of  the  classic  schools  could  be  measured  by  some 
standard  of  taste,  and  was  suggestive  of  graceful  form  either  animate  or 
conventional,  Mediaeval  sculpture  on  the  contrary  could  aim  at  no  such 
ideal,  but  was  expressly  suited   to  embody  the  wildest  conceptions  of 
definite   ugliness.     There  is  no  more  melancholy  page  in  the  history  of 
art  than  that  which   records  the  wretched  attempts   at  Gothic   carving 
which  were  executed  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago.      Ignorance  itself  affords 
no   apology  for  such  work.      Incapacity  can  scarcely  excuse   it.     The 
bosses,    the    corbels,    the    niched    figures,    the    gargoyles    which    in    a 
thousand  varying  forms  testified  in  turn  the  sense  of  beauty,  the  vene- 
ration, the  love  of  nature  and  the  ready  wit  of  our  ancestors,  were  still 
in  existence,  and   might  have  served  as  models  but   for   the   egregious 
vanity  of  the  diy.     King  George's  loyal   subjects   thought   they  knew 
better  than  those  of  King  Edward.     So  they  went  to  work  and  left 
us  specimens  of  their  handicraft,  the  like  of  which  civilised  Christendom 
never  saw  before,  and  it  is   to   be   devoutly  trusted  will   never   behold 
again.      Beautiful   no   one  expected   it   to  be.      But    it    also  was    not 


Classification  of  Styles.  135 


clever  ;  it  was  not  interesting  ;  it  was  not  life-like  ;  it  was  not  humor- 
ous ;  it  was  not  even  ugly  after  a  good  honest  fashion — it  was  deplor- 
ably and  hopelessly  mean. 

The  truth  is,  that  up  to  this  period  no  one  had  made  a  special  study 
of  the  details  of  Gothic  architecture  because  no  one  knew  how  to  begin 
to  study  them.  Professional  architects,  with  a  few  exceptions,  would 
have  ridiculed  the  attempt.  Amateurs  who  essayed  found  themselves 
perplexed  by  apparent  incongruities  in  the  style.  After  a  careful 
perusal  of  the  works  of  Chambers  they  could  readily  distinguish  the 
Doric  order  from  the  Ionic  order,  the  Ionic  from  the  Corinthian,  but 
when  they  explored  our  cathedrals,  the  gradual  erection  of  which 
extended  over  centuries  of  time,  an  endless  variety  of  types  presented 
themselves  in  illustration  of  the  same  feature.  Some  columns  were 
round  ;  others  were  octagonal  ;  others  were  moulded.  Some  arches 
were  semicircular ;  others  were  acutely  pointed ;  others  were  flat. 
The  groined  roofs  and  porches,  the  window  tracery  and  door- 
mouldings,  were  continually  differing  in  form,  in  character,  and  pro- 
portion. How  much  of  this  variety  was  due  to  caprice  or  individual 
taste,  and  how  much  to  change  of  style  ?  What  rules  of  art  could  be 
applied  to  such  architecture,  and  how  was  the  student  to  trace  its 
progress  and  development  ? 

A  solution  to  these  questions  was  at  length  supplied  by  three  men  in 
utterly  distinct  positions  of  life,  who,  without  acting  in  concert,  and  indeed 
without  agreeing  in  points  of  detail,  managed  between  them  to  lay  the 
foundation  for  a  methodical  study  of  Mediaeval  buildings.  One  touch  of 
nature  makes  the  whole  world  kin.  One  aim  in  art  had  enlisted  the 
contemporary  services  or.  a  Roman  Catholic  bishop,  a  professional 
Quaker,  and  a  Cambridge  don. 

The  antiquaries  and  dilettanti  of  the  day  could  perhaps  learn  but 
little  new  from  their  researches,  but  the  architects  and  the  general  public 
could  learn  a  great  deal,  and  by  degrees  they  learned  it.  For  the 
vague    and,    originally,   contemptuous   name   of    c  Gothic,'   the   words 


136  Ecclcsiological  Studies. 


*  Pointed  Style  '  were  occasionally  substituted.  Amateurs  began  to 
discriminate  between  early  English,  Decorated,  and  Tudor  architecture ; 
and  the  choir  of  Canterbury  Cathedral,  the  nave  of  York,  and  Henry 
the  Seventh's  Chapel  at  Westminster,  each  had  its  admirers.  Attention 
was  for  the  first  time  called  to  the  important  and  distinctive  character 
maintained  by  mouldings.  The  design  of  windows  was  studied  with 
more  care,  and  it  was  ascertained  by  comparison  how  *  plate  '  tracery 
had  developed  into  geometrical  patterns ;  geometrical  had  been  beguiled 
into  c  flowing  '  lines,  and  how  the  last  had  degenerated  into  *  Perpen- 
dicular.' 

The  various  parts  of  a  church,  and  the  several  uses  to  which  they 
were  assigned,  were  recognised  and  explained.  The  tower,  the  porch, 
the  buttress,  and  the  parapet,  all  afforded  evidence  in  their  general  form 
or  decorative  detail  of  the  period  when  they  had  been  designed.  In- 
ternally the  groined  vault  and  timber  roof,  the  choir  screen  and  sculp- 
tured corbel,  were  examined  not  only  for  their  artistic  value,  but  as  a 
means  of  proving  the  date  of  the  building  to  which  they  belonged.  It 
was  gradually  discovered  that  there  was  such  a  thing  as  a  principle  of 
design  in  Gothic,  that  the  quaint  or  graceful  features  which  distin- 
guished it  were  invented  or  fashioned  with  a  purpose  and  were  not  the 
mere  picturesque  inventions  of  a  random  fancy. 

These  researches  and  convictions  soon  led  to  a  more  scientific  classifi- 
cation of  style  than  had  hitherto  prevailed. 

Milner  had  been  brought  up  as  all  amateurs  of  architecture  then 
were,  with  a  faith  in  the  Orders  which  he  could  not  entirely  abjure. 
He  did  not  indeed  attempt,  like  Batty  Langley,  to  modify  the  details 
of  Gothic  architecture,  so  as  to  conform  with  this  division,  but  he  gave 
his  readers  distinctly  to  understand  that  if  there  were  three  separate 
types  of  classic  column  and  entablature  with  their  respective  members, 
ornaments,  and  proportions,  so  there  existed  among  the  buildings  of  the 
Middle  Ages  a  similar  and  easily  recognisable  division  into  first,  second, 
and  third  Pointed  Styles.     This  division,  which  has  long  since  been 


Proprieties  of  Design.  137 


universally  adopted  in  the  art  nomenclature  of  this  country,  was  of  great 
service  in  helping  designers  at  an  early  period  of  the  Revival  to  avoid 
anachronisms  in  the  imitation  of  ancient  work.  But  like  all  results  of 
antiquarian  research,  it  has  had  its  drawbacks  as  well  as  its  advantages 
in  the  development  of  modern  taste. 

For  years  afterwards  a  sort  of  chronological  propriety  hampered  the 
inventive  faculties  of  men.  As  the  study  of  ancient  examples  pro- 
gressed, and  architects  became  more  and  more  accustomed  to  associate 
certain  features  with  a  certain  epoch,  they  came  to  believe  less  in  the 
spirit  than  in  the  letter  of  Gothic.  They  sat  down  to  design  a 
f  decorated  '  church,  because,  perhaps,  the  windows  of  that  style  admit- 
ted more  light  than  the  windows  of  an  earlier  period,  but  in  doing  so 
they  felt  compelled  to  adopt  in  their  tracery  the  meretricious  faults  of 
the  later  style ;  they  hesitated  to  exchange  the  complex  mouldings  and 
trivial  foliage  of  the  one  for  the  bold  arch-soffit  and  noble  capitals  of 
the  other,  lest  their  work  should  be  called  incongruous.  The  so-called 
Tudor  style  had  many  advantages  for  domestic  buildings.  It  had  also 
some  artistic  and  constructive  defects.  But  because  architects  in  that 
age  had  adopted  a  weak  form  of  arch,  and  an  ugly  type  of  dripstone, 
the  architects  of  the  Gothic  Revival  reproduced  both  in  their  new 
churches  and  manor-houses — out  of  pure  respect  for  tradition.  At 
last  it  seemed  necessary  to  find  a  precedent  for  every  detail,  and,  to 
quote  the  humorous  hyperbole  uttered  by  a  well-known  member  of  the 
profession,  no  one  was  safe  from  critics,  who  knew  to  a  nicety  the 
orthodox  coiffure  of  a  thirteenth-century  angel,  and  who  damned  a 
moulding  that  was  half  an  hour  too  late. 

Pugin  himself  designed  furniture  which  was  intended  to  be  in  keeping 
with  the  later  additions  to  Windsor  Castle,  but  which  he  lived  to 
pronounce  a  mistake.  He  was,  however,  like  a  true  genius,  always  in 
advance  of  his  age,  and  it  may  with  truth  be  said,  in  spite  of  the  dis- 
paragement which  has  since  been  passed  on  his  works,  that  if  he  had 
lived  to  accomplish  the  reformation  he  so  gallantly  began,  he  would 


138  B lores  Early  Life. 


have  been  reckoned  among  the  foremost  architects  of  the  present 
day. 

There  remains,  however,  a  short  period  to  consider  before  Pugin 
became  known  to  fame.  In  that  period,  many  men  who  were  either 
his  elders,  or  had  better  opportunities  than  himself  to  establish  a  prac- 
tice, achieved  a  notoriety  which,  if  less  splendid,  was  more  profitable 
than  his  own.  Among  these  was  Edward  Blore,  who  was  born 
towards  the  close  of  the  last  century.  According  to  Britton,  Mr.  Blore 
might  date  his  knowledge  of  architecture  from  the  year  1816,  when  he 
made  an  elaborate  section  of  the  east  end  of  Winchester  Cathedral. 
He  had,  however,  no  regular  education  as  an  architect,  and  was 
about  thirty  years  old  before  he  began  to  practise.  His  father  was 
an  antiquary  of  some  note,  and  probably  encouraged  the  taste  for 
drawing  which  young  Blore,  at  an  early  age,  began  to  evince.  The 
sketches  of  monuments,  etc.,  which  he  made  as  a  boy  were  carefully 
outlined  and  shaded  with  Indian  ink.  In  point  of  accuracy  they  have 
been  compared  to  photographs.  He  was  apprenticed  to  an  engraver, 
and  rapidly  made  progress  in  the  art  which  he  afterwards  turned  to 
such  good  account.  For  some  time  he  was  actively  employed  as  a 
draughtsman,  and  an  engraver  of  architectural  drawings.  About  the 
year  1822  the  Rev.  T.  F.  Dibdin  published  his  c  JEdes  Althorpianas,' 
for  which  Blore  supplied  the  illustrations.  It  was  probably  this 
accident  which  brought  him  into  connection  with  the  Spencer  family, 
and  thus  formed  the  basis  of  an  acquaintance  which  proved  eminently 
useful  to  him  in  after  life. 

In  1823  he  made  an  excursion  into  the  North  of  England,  for  the 
purpose  of  collecting  materials  for  a  work  which  he  brought  out  in 
parts,  the  whole  volume  being  completed  in  1826.  It  was  entitled  the 
'  Monumental  Remains  of  Noble  and  Eminent  Persons,'  comprising 
the  sepulchral  antiquities  of  Great  Britain,  with  historical  and  biogra- 
phical illustrations,  by  the  Rev.  Philip  Bliss,  D.C.L.  Mr.  Blore  was 
by  this  time  so  well  known  as  to  be   made  a  fellow  of  the  Society  of 


B lores  'Monumental  Remains.'  139 

Antiquaries.  All  the  illustrations  were  drawn,  and  many  of  them 
engraved,  by  himself.  Le  Keux  undertook  the  rest.  In  point  of 
execution  these  engravings  will  bear  comparison  with  any  which  have 
been  published  in  England,  before  or  since.  They  are  thirty  in 
number.  The  accompanying  letterpress  is,  as  the  title  set  forth,  rather 
a  biographical  sketch  of  the  heroes  whom  the  monuments  commemo- 
rate, than  a  description  of  the  monuments  themselves.  A  flattering 
notice  of  the  first  number  appeared  in  the  c  Gentleman's  Magazine  '  for 
1824,  but  the  critic,  evidently  being  under  the  impression  that  both 
letterpress  and  illustrations  were  Mr.  Blore's  work,  finds  fault  with 
the  memoir  of  the  Black  Prince,  who  is  represented,  by  a  common 
error,  to  have  derived  his  sobriquet  from  the  colour  of  his  armour. 

The  c  Gentleman's  Magazine '  spoke  with  authority  on  such  points, 
for  in  those  days  it  was  almost  the  only  periodical  in  which  the  arts 
were  duly  represented.  It  was  the  c  Art  Journal '  — the  c  Building 
News  ' — the  c  Notes  and  Queries '  of  its  time.  It  registered  all  the 
metropolitan  improvements — described  the  new  churches — chronicled 
all  the  archaeological  discoveries — gave  the  latest  literary  gossip  of  the 
day,  and,  though  it  was  not  blind  to  the  merits  of  Classic  art,  it  steadily 
and  faithfully  recorded  the  progress  of  the  Gothic  Revival.  The 
critiques  on  public  buildings  are  spiritedly  written,  and  though  their 
phraseology  betrays  to  modern  ears  an  ignorance  of  technicalities,  they 
are  often  just  and  discriminating  in  theory. 

In  1826  Mr.  Blore  was  appointed  surveyor  to  Westminster  Abbey, 
and  shortly  afterwards,  in  his  professional  capacity,  discovered  that  the 
roof  of  the  case  in  which  the  wax  figures  of  Queen  Anne,  the  Earl  of 
Chatham,  and  the  other  effigies  commonly  known  as  the  '  ragged  regi- 
ment '  were  then  placed,  bore  marks  of  ancient  decoration.  He  had  it 
removed,  and  examined  it  carefully.  It  turned  out  to  be  one  of  the 
rarest  and  most  valuable  specimens  of  early  painting  extant.  Blore 
had  a  double  reason  for  protecting  it.  Westminster  was  not  then,  as 
now,  guarded  by  circumspect  vergers,  who  are  stimulated  to  additional 


140  B lores  Professional  Works. 

vigilance  by  the  sixpences  of  the  faithful.  There  was  scarce  a  monu- 
ment in  the  place  which  had  not  suffered  from  ruthless  violence,  for  at 
that  time  or  not  long  before  the  choristers  made  a  playground  of  the 
venerable  abbey,  and  the  Westminster  scholars  played  at  hockey  in  the 
cloisters.  In  the  following  year  Mr.  Blore  read  a  paper  on  the  subject  of 
his  discovery  before  the  Society  of  Antiquaries.  About  this  time, 
through  some  mistake,  he  got  the  credit  of  having  executed  the  exten- 
sive repairs  of  Winchester  Cathedral,  which,  however,  were  carried  out 
by  Mr.  Garbett,  a  local  architect,  who  designed  the  episcopal  throne 
there  among  other  fittings.  The  design  of  the  organ  case  had  been 
entrusted  to  Mr.  Blore  in  1824.  In  1827  we  find  the  latter  gentleman 
alluded  to  as  *  the  eminent  architect,'  and  engaged  to  furnish  plans  for 
the  chancel  fittings  of  Peterborough.  Shortly  afterwards  he  was  em- 
ployed to  restore  Lambeth  Palace,  then  in  a  state  of  semi-ruin.  It  had 
been  three  times  destroyed  and  rebuilt.  Mr.  Blore  found  it  necessary  to 
remove  some  of  the  walls,  which  had  literally  decayed  from  age,  but 
one  of  the  principal  roofs — that  which  now  spans  the  dining-room — was 
preserved.  The  chamber  known  as  Old  Juxon's  Hall  was  converted 
into  a  library,  the  old  library  having  been  pulled  down.  The  *  new ' 
palace  extends  eastward  from  the  tower,  which  joins  the  chapel,  and  is 
for  the  most  part  on  the  site  of  the  old  building.  Near  the  hall  (or 
new  library),  and  over  a  modern  gateway,  was  constructed  a  fire-proof 
room  for  the  preservation  of  manuscripts  and  archives. 

Among  Mr.  Blore's  other  works  were  an  Elizabethan  Town  Hall  at 
Warminster  ;  Goodrich  Court,  on  the  Wye,  for  Mr.  Samuel  Meyrick ; 
Crewe  Hall ;  Pull  Court,  Gloucestershire  ;  the  Chapel  of  Marlborough 
College,  Wilts ;  Worsley  Hall,  for  Lord  Ellesmere ;  and  Moreton 
Hall.  He  also  designed  churches  at  Stratford  and  Leytonstone,  the 
Pitt  Press  at  Cambridge,  and  additions  to  Merton  College,  Oxford. 
The  repairs  of  Glasgow  Cathedral  were  likewise  carried  out  under  his 
superintendence,  as  well  as  certain  improvements  at  Windsor  Castle  ; 
and,  before  Sir  Charles  Barry  was  employed  at  Cauford  (near  Win- 


y antes  Savage.  141 


bourne),  the  works  there  were  entrusted  to  Mr.  Blore.  His  restora- 
tions at  Westminster  Abbey,  though  wanting  in  life  and  vigour,  abound 
in  careful  detail.  This  was,  in  short,  his  great  forte.  He  had  studied 
and  drawn  detail  so  long  and  zealously  that  its  design  came  quite 
naturally  to  him,  and  in  this  respect  he  was  incomparably  superior  to  his 
contemporaries. 

As  a  typical  building  of  the  prae-Puginesque  period,  St.  Luke's 
Church  at  Chelsea,  designed  by  Savage  in  1824,  must  not  be  forgotten. 
Indeed,  its  cost,  its  size,  and  construction  place  it  in  the  foremost  rank 
of  contemporary  Gothic  examples.  It  was  raised  at  an  outlay  of  40,000/. 
to  accommodate  a  congregation  of  2,500  persons,  and  it  was  probably 
the  only  church  of  its  time  in  which  the  main  roof  was  groined  through- 
out in  stone.  The  plan,  arranged  with  that  rigid  formality  which  was 
the  fashion  of  the  day,  consists  of  a  lofty  nave  with  clerestory  and 
triforium  niches,  north  and  south  aisles,  a  western  tower  and  narthex, 
and  a  low  square  vestry  which  projects  from  the  east  end.  The  general 
style  of  the  design  is  Perpendicular,  though  the  groining  and  certain 
details  have  an  earlier  character.  The  window  heads  are  rilled  with 
tracery  and  enclosed  within  a  four-centred  arch  of  somewhat  ungainly 
curve.  The  tower  has  octagonal  turrets  at  each  angle,  which  termi- 
nate in  pinnacles  of  open  stonework.  The  porch,  which  extends  the 
whole  width  of  the  west  front,  is  divided  by  piers  and  arches  into  five 
bays,  of  which  two  are  on  either  side  of  the  tower,  while  the  fifth  and 
central  one  is  formed  by  the  lowest  story  of  the  tower  itself,  vaulted 
over  inside,  and  decorated  externally  by  a  cusped  and  crocketed 
canopy.  Flying  buttresses,  to  resist  the  thrust  of  the  groining,  span 
the  aisles  on  either  side,  and  divide  them  externally  into  a  series 
of  bays. 

In  examining  such  a  structure  as  this,  which  includes  in  its  design 
every  feature  necessary  and  usual  for  its  purpose  ;  which  is  ample 
in  its  dimensions  and  sound  in  its  workmanship  ;  on  which  an  excep- 
tionally large  sum  of  money  was  expended,  but  which  is,  nevertheless, 


142  St.  Lukes  Church,  Chelsea. 

mean  and  uninteresting  in  its  general  effect,  it  is  well  to  put  oneself  in 
the  position  of  an  intelligent  amateur,  who,  feeling  it  to  be  a  failure 
from  an  artistic  point  of  view,  desires  to  know  what  special  faults  have 
contributed  to  this  result,  and  why,  individually,  they  should  be  con- 
sidered faults  at  all.  To  such  an  enquiry,  it  may  be  briefly  answered 
that  the  prominent  blunders  in  this  design  are  an  unfortunate  lack  of 
proportion,  a  culpable  clumsiness  of  detail,  and  a  foolish,  overstrained 
balance  of  parts. 

The  want  of  proportion  is  eminently  noticeable  in  the  lanky  arches 
of  the  west  porch,  "with  their  abrupt  ogival  hood  moulding  ;  in  the 
buttresses,  which  are  divided  by  their  c  set-offs '  into  two  long  and 
equal  heights  ;  in  the  windows,  which  are  identical  in  general  outline 
throughout  the  church  ;  in  the  octagonal  turrets  of  the  tower,  where 
the  nine  string  courses  occur  at  scrupulously  regular  intervals  all  the 
way  up;  and,  finally,  in  the  masonry  of  the  walls,  where  large  blocks 
of  stone  are  used  in  uninterrupted  courses,  scarcely  varying  in  height 
from  base  to  parapet. 

All  these  accidents  combine  not  only  to  deprive  the  building  of 
scale,  but  to  give  it  a  cold  and  machine  made  look.  In  a  far  different 
spirit  the  Mediaeval  designers  worked.  Their  buttresses  were  stepped  in 
unequal  lengths,  the  set-offs  becoming  more  frequent  and  more  accen- 
tuated towards  the  foundation.  Their  string  courses  were  introduced  as 
leading  lines  in  the  design,  and  were  not  ruled  in  with  the  accuracy  of 
an  account  book  ;  their  windows  were  large  or  small  as  best  befitted  the 
requirements  of  internal  lighting  ;  their  walls  were  coursed  irregularly, 
the  smaller  stones  being  used  for  broad  surfaces,  and  the  larger  ones 
reserved  for  quoins  and  the  jambs  of  doors  and  windows. 

It  is  less  easy  to  define  in  words  the  crude  vulgarity  of  detail 
which  pervades  this  church,  but  no  one  who  examines  with  attention  the 
character — if  character  it  may  be  called — of  the  carved  work,  can  fail 
to  perceive  the  absence  of  vitality  it  exhibits  in  the  crockets  and  finials 
which   are   supposed   to   adorn   its   walls.      No   educated  stone   carver 


Formality  of  Design.  143 


employed  on  decorative  features  would  care  to  reproduce  the  actual 
forms  of  natural  vegetation  for  such  a  purpose,  but  in  his  conventional 
representation  of  such  forms  he  would  take  pains  to  suggest  the  vigour 
and  individuality  of  his  model.  Fifty  years  ago  this  principle  was 
almost  ignored.  There  was  naturalistic  carving,  and  there  was 
ornamental  carving ;  but  the  noble  abstractive  treatment  which  should 
find  a  middle  place  between  them,  and  which  was  one  of  the  glories  of 
ancient  art,  had  still  to  be  revived. 

The  third  and  perhaps  the  most  flagrant  fault  in  this  building — a 
fault  which  Savage  as  a  designer  shared  with  many  of  his  contem- 
poraries— is  the  cold  formality  of  its  arrangement.  It  seems  astonishing 
that  one  of  the  essential  graces  of  Mediaeval  architecture,  that  uneven 
distribution  of  parts  which  is  at  once  necessary  to  convenience,  and  the 
cause  of  picturesque  composition,  should  have  been  so  studiously 
avoided  at  this  time.  Whether  it  resulted  from  mere  want  of  inventive 
faculty  in  design,  or  from  an  unfortunate  adherence  to  the  grim  pro- 
prieties of  a  pseudo- classic  taste  for  which  eurythmia  is  indispensable  in 

places  where 

each  alley  has  a  brother, 

And  half  the  platform  just  reflects  the  other, 

can  scarcely  be  determined.  But  certain  it  is  that  nine-tenths  of  the 
so-called  Gothic  buildings  raised  before  Pugin's  days  were  designed  on 
this  plan,  and  that  an  architect  would  no  more  have  thought  of  intro- 
ducing a  porch  on  the  south  aisle  which  had  not  its  counterpart  on  the 
north,  than  he  would  have  dared  to  wear  a  coat  of  which  the  right 
sleeve  was  longer  than  the  left. 

There  are,  however,  some  redeeming  points  about  St.  Luke's  Church. 
The  upper  part  of  the  tower,  though  foolishly  over-panelled,  is  good 
in  its  general  proportions.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  octagonal 
turrets  at  the  east  end.  The  groining  of  the  nave  is  really  excellent, 
for  its  time,  and  is  all  the  more  remarkable,  when  we  remember  the 
wretched  shams  by  which   such  work  was   then   too   frequently   bur- 


144  Redeeming  Points. 


lesqued.  The  reredos,  though  designed  on  a  principle  which  would 
render  it  unsuitable  for  the  present  requirements  of  church  architecture, 
is,  for  its  date,  by  no  means  contemptible  ;  and  as  for  the  galleries — 
fatal  as  they  are  to  any  attempt  at  internal  effect — and  redundant  as 
everyone  but  the  mere  utilitarian  will  consider  them — we  must  remem- 
ber that  many  churches  of  later  date,  and  far  more  pretentious  in 
character,  have  maintained  such  features  with  far  less  excuse  and  under 
more  enlightened  conditions. 


A.  N.   IVelby  Pugiu.  145 


CHAPTER   IX. 

OWEVER  much  we  may  be  indebted  to  those  ancient  sup- 
porters of  Pointed  Architecture  who,  faithfully  adhering  to 
its  traditions  at  a  period  when  the  style  fell  into  general  dis- 
use, strove  earnestly,  and  in  some  instances  ably,  to  preserve  its  cha- 
racter ;  whatever  value  in  the  cause  we  may  attach  to  the  crude  and 
isolated  examples  of  Gothic  which  belong  to  the  eighteenth  century,  or 
to  the  efforts  of  such  men  as  Nash  and  Wyatt,  there  can  be  little  doubt 
that  the  revival  of  Mediaeval  design  received  its  chief  impulse  in  our 
own  day  from  the  energy  and  talents  of  one  architect  whose  name 
marks  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  British  art,  which,  while  art  exists  at 
all,  can  never  be  forgotten. 

Augustus  Northmore  Welby  Pugin  was  born  on  March  1,  18 12,  at 
a  house  in  Store  Street,  Bedford  Square.      His  father,  as  is  well  known, 
had  been  a  French  refugee,  who,  during  the  horrors  of  the  revolution 
in  his  own  country,  escaped  to  England,  and  obtained  employment  in 
the  office  of  Mr.  Nash,  then  one  of  the  most  celebrated  and  successful 
architects  of  his  day.     Nash  was  not  slow  to  perceive  the  bent  of  his 
assistant's  talents,  and  advised  the  young  Frenchman  to  begin  a  series 
of  studies  illustrative  of  English  Gothic — with  a  view  to  publication. 
Some   of  these   sketches  were   picturesquely  treated,  and  of  sufficient 
merit  to  cause  Pugin's  election  as  a  member  of  the  old  Water  Colour 
Society,  in  1808.     But  it  was  by  his  later  and  more  strictly  professional 
works  that  the  elder  Pugin  first  established  a  reputation.      His  '  Speci- 
mens of  Gothic  Architecture '  in  England  and  his  c  Antiquities  of  Nor- 
mandy '  have  been  already  mentioned.     In  addition  to  these,  he  pub- 

L 


146  Pugiris  Early  Life. 


lished  '  The  Edifices  of  London,'  in  two  volumes  ;   '  Examples  of  Gothic 
Architecture,'  quarto,  1831  ;   'Ornamental  Timber  Gables,'  &c. 

Of  professional  practice  the  elder  Pugin  had  very  little,  and  it  is 
remarkable  that,  of  his  many  pupils,  but  few  have  followed  the  profes- 
sion for  which  they  were  intended.  There  were,  however,  some  excep- 
tions, among  whom  may  be  mentioned  Sir  James  Pennethorne,  late 
Surveyor  to  the  Office  of  Works,  Talbot  Bury,  and  B.  Ferrey,  who 
was  destined  to  become  the  biographer  of  the  younger  and  more  famous 
Pugin.  The  latter  was  educated  at  Christ's  Hospital,  where  he 
showed  at  an  early  age  great  aptitude  for  learning.  Even  as 
a  child,  we  are  told,  he  was  quick  in  all  that  he  attempted,  and  ex- 
pressed his  opinions  with  a  confidence  which  certainly  did  not  abate  in 
later  life.  After  leaving  school,  young  Pugin  entered  his  father's  office, 
where  the  natural  facility  of  his  hand  for  sketching  soon  declared  itself. 
He  passed  through  the  usual  elementary  course  of  study  in  his  pro- 
fession, learnt  perspective,  and  at  once  began  to  make  drawings  in 
Westminster  Abbey. 

About  the  year  1825,  the  elder  Pugin  went  with  some  of  his  pupils 
to  Paris,  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  a  series  of  views  illustrative  of 
that  city.  His  son,  then  a  mere  boy,  accompanied  him,  and  made  such 
good  use  of  his  pencil  that  he  was  of  real  service  to  his  father.  In 
July,  1826,  young  Pugin  and  Mr.  B.  Ferrey  visited  Rochester,  where 
they  made  many  sketches  of  the  Castle — the  former  carrying  his  re- 
searches so  far  as  to  take  an  accurate  survey  of  the  foundations.  In 
the  prosecution  of  this  work  he  was  more  ardent  than  discreet,  and 
twice  narrowly  escaped  with  life  the  consequences  of  his  temerity. 

In  1827,  he  again  accompanied  his  father  on  a  professional  tour  in 
France,  and  gratified  his  now  rapidly  developing  taste  for  Mediaeval 
art  by  visiting  the  splendid  Churches  of  Normandy.  Up  to  this  time 
his  dislike  to  sedentary  pursuits,  and  the  dry  routine  of  an  architect's 
office,  had  prevented  his  entering  on  any  practical  work.  The  first 
employment  which  he  received  independent  of  his  father  appears   to 


Pugin's  Theatrical  Tastes.  147 

have  been  from  Messrs.  Rundell  and  Bridge,  the  well-known  gold- 
smiths. A  member  of  that  firm,  while  engaged  in  examining  some 
ancient  designs  for  plate  in  the  British  Museum,  had  observed  young 
Pugin  copying  a  print  from  Albert  Durer,  and  soon  became  aware  of 
his  taste  for  Mediaeval  art.  The  lad's  services  were  secured  forthwith, 
and  some  clever  designs  resulted  from  the  commission.  Shortly  after- 
wards Messrs.  Morel  and  Seddon,  the  King's  upholsterers,  applied  to 
Mr.  Pugin  for  his  professional  assistance  in  preparing  drawings  for  the 
new  furniture  at  Windsor  Castle,  which  had  been  entrusted  to  their 
care,  and  which  it  was  determined  should  partake  of  the  ancient  cha- 
racter of  that  building.  This  was  an  excellent  opportunity  for  the 
display  of  young  Pugin's  abilities,  and,  though  he  afterwards  frankly 
admitted  the  errors  of  his  youthful  effort,  it  is  probable  that  at  the 
time  the  designs  were  made,  no  better  could  have  been  procured. 

During  the  progress  of  the  works  at  Windsor,  Pugin  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  Mr.  George  Dayes,  a  son  of  the  artist  of  that  name. 
This  man  occupied  a  humble  position  in  the  management  of  the  scenery 
at  Covent  Garden  Theatre.  To  a  boy  of  fifteen  who  had  never  yet 
seen  a  play,  the  description  of  stage  effects  and  scenery  offered  great 
attractions.  At  last  his  curiosity  was  gratified.  He  was  introduced  to 
the  mysterious  littk  world  beyond  the  footlights — learned  the  art  of 
distemper  painting,  and  when  the  new  opera  of  c  Kenilworth '  was 
produced  in  1831,  and  it  was  required  to  produce  something  like  a 
faithful  representation  of  Mediaeval  architecture,  young  Pugin  designed 
the  scenes.  During  the  period  of  this  connection,  and  partly  to  aid 
him  in  his  study  of  effect,  he  fitted  up  a  model  theatre  at  his  father's 
house,  where  all  the  tricks  and  appliances  of  the  real  stage  were  in- 
geniously mimicked. 

His  tastes  in  this  direction  were  but  transient,  and  he  was  next 
possessed  by  an  extraordinary  passion  for  a-  maritime  life.  To  the 
great  distress  of  his  father  he  actually  commanded  for  a  short  while  a 
small  merchant  schooner  which  traded  between  this  country  and  Hol- 

L    2 


148  Commercial  Ventures. 

land.  In  addition  to  the  little  freight,  for  the  convoy  of  which 
Pugin  was  responsible,  he  managed  to  bring  over  some  interesting 
specimens  of  old  furniture  and  carving  from  Flanders,  which  afterwards 
helped  to  fill  his  museum  at  Ramsgate.  In  one  of  these  cruises  he  was 
wrecked  on  the  Scotch  coast  near  Leith — a  temporary  misfortune, 
which  he  had  no  reason  to  regret,  for  it  brought  him  into  contact  with 
Mr.  Gillespie  Graham,  an  Edinburgh  architect  of  some  repute,  who, 
doubtless  knowing  his  father's  name,  and  perceiving  the  ability  of 
young  Pugin,  recommended  him  to  give  up  his  seafaring  hobby  and 
stick  to  his  profession — a  piece  of  sound  advice,  which  the  young  man 
had  good  sense  enough  to  follow. 

At  this  time,  though  many  architects  had  adopted  Mediaeval  archi- 
tecture in  their  designs,  few  were  acquainted  with  Gothic  detail,  and 
young  Pugin's  studies  in  that  direction  thus  rendered  him  extremely 
useful  to  many  who  were  glad  to  avail  themselves  of  his  services.  Not 
content,  however,  with  this  secondhand  employment,  he  embarked  in 
sundry  speculations  by  which  he  undertook  to  supply  carved  work  in 
stone  and  wood  to  those  who  required  it  for  the  ornamental  portion  of 
their  works.  But  his  inexperience  in  the  varying  price  of  labour  and 
material  soon  brought  him  into  pecuniary  difficulties,  and,  but  for  the 
assistance  of  his  relations,  he  would  have  been  imprisoned  for  debt. 
This  failure  showed  him  the  importance  of  adhering  exclusively  to  the 
profession  for  which  he  had  been  educated,  and  to  which  thenceforth  he 
turned  his  serious  attention.  That  he  must  have  realised  some  money 
by  its  practice  is  pretty  evident  from  the  fact  that,  while  still  a  minor, 
he  married  in  1831  Miss  Garnet,  a  grand  niece  of  Dayes,  the  artist, 
who  has  been  already  mentioned.  His  first  wife  (for  he  married  three 
times)  unfortunately  died  in  childbirth,  and  a  few  years  afterwards 
Pugin  built  himself  a  house  near  Salisbury,  in  the  style  to  which  he  was 
so  much  attached.  It  was,  however,  far  inferior  to  his  later  works,  and 
he  had  not  yet  learned  the  art  of  combining  a  picturesque  exterior  with 
the  ordinary  comforts  of  an  English  home. 


Scarisbyick  Hall.  149 


It  was  during  his  residence  at  St.  Marie's  Grange  that  he  began  to 
inveigh  so  bitterly  against  the  barbarisms  which  were  still  practised  by 
the  introduction  of  hideous  pagan  monuments  into  our  noble  cathedrals 
and  churches,  and  which  he  afterwards  exposed  more  systematically  in 
his  published  works.  He  made  a  tour  for  the  purpose  of  inspecting  the 
principal  examples  of  Mediaeval  architecture  in  the  west,  and  improved 
his  taste  by  constant  study.  In  the  meantime  he  had  married  again. 
His  second  wife  does  not  appear  to  have  been  pleased  with  his  resi- 
dence. At  all  events,  Pugin,  who  had  expended  upwards  of  2,000/. 
on  the  house,  made  up  his  mind  to  sell  it  at  a  great  sacrifice.  It 
only  fetched  500/.  He  had  now  a  gradually  increasing  practice,  his 
principal  work  at  the  time  being  Scarisbrick  Hall,  Lancashire,  an 
interesting  example  of  domestic  Gothic,  in  which  the  lofty  clock-tower 
forms  a  graceful  and  picturesque  feature. 

Pugin's  father  and  mother  died  in  1832-3,  and  by  their  death  he 
succeeded  to  some  property  which  had  belonged  to  his  aunt,  Miss 
Welby.  His  secession  from  the  Church  of  England  had  meanwhile 
been  an  important  event  in  his  life.  The  causes  which  led  to  a 
change  of  his  religious  convictions,  and  the  controversies  which  then 
arose,  not  only  between  members  of  the  Anglican  and  Roman 
branches  of  the  Church  Catholic,  but  among  those  who  belonged  to 
the  communion  he  embraced,  have  been  amply  discussed  elsewhere. 
That  he  was  sincere  in  his  change  of  faith,  and  that  it  was  the  result 
of  more  serious  considerations  than  those  associated  with  the  art  which 
he  practised,  no  one  can,  charitably,  doubt.  On  the  other  hand,  it  must 
be  admitted  that  the  importance  then  attached  to  certain  proprieties 
of  ecclesiastical  furniture  and  decorations  has  been  vastly  overrated  on 
both  sides. 

In  1836  Pugin  published  his  celebrated  f  Contrasts,'  a  pungent  satire 
on  modern  architecture  as  compared  with  that  of  the  Middle  Ages. 
The  illustrations  which  accompanied  it  were  drawn  and  etched  by  him- 
self,  and   afford   evidence  not  only  of  great  artistic   power,  but  of  a 


150  Pugin's  Literary  Works. 

keen  sense  of  humour.  To  the  circulation  of  this  work — coloured 
though  it  may  be  by  a  strong  theological  bias — we  may  attribute  the 
care  and  jealousy  with  which  our  ancient  churches  and  cathedrals  have 
since  been  protected  and  kept  in  repair.  For  such  a  result,  who  would 
not  overlook  many  faults,  which,  after  all,  had  no  worse  origin  than  in 
the  earnest  zeal  of  a  convert  ? 

In  1832,  Pugin  had  the  good  fortune  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  who,  not  only  from  his  high  rank,  but  from 
his  attachment  to  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  to  Pugin's  own  views  re- 
garding art,  proved  to  him  a  most  valuable  patron.  This  nobleman  at 
once  employed  him  in  the  alterations  and  additions  to  his  residence — 
Alton  Towers,  which  subsequently  led  to  many  other  commissions. 

The  success  attending  Pugin's  publication  of  the  *  Contrasts  '  induced 
him,  in  1  841,  to  bring  out  his  *  True  Principles  of  Gothic  Architecture,' 
the  title  of  which  has  since  passed  almost  into  a  proverb  among  the 
friends  of  that  style.  c  An  Apology  for  the  Revival  of  Christian  Archi- 
tecture in  England,'  followed  in  1843,  an<^  m  J^44  appeared  c  The 
Glossary  of  Ecclesiastical  Ornament  and  Costume,'  compiled  and 
illustrated  from  ancient  authorities  and  examples.  The  influence  of 
this  work,  as  Mr.  Ferrey  truly  remarks,  upon  polychromatic  decoration 
in  our  churches  has  been  immense.  Among  Pugin's  other  literary 
productions  are  '  The  present  state  of  Ecclesiastical  Architecture  in 
England,'  reprinted  from  the  f  Dublin  Review,'  1843;  'Floriated 
Ornament,  a  series  of  thirty-one  designs,'  1849;  'Some  Remarks  on 
the  Articles  which  have  recently  appeared  in  the  "  Rambler,"  relative  to 
Ecclesiastical  Architecture  and  Decoration,'  1850.  In  the  same  year  he 
published  '  The  Present  State  of  Public  Worship  among  the  Roman 
Catholics,'  by  a  Roman  Catholic;  and  in  185  1  appeared  his  'Treatise 
on  Chancel  Screens  and  Rood  Lofts,  their  antiquity,  use,  and  symbolic 
signification,'  a  work  in  which  certain  theories  were  advanced  that  called 
forth  much  warm  discussion  among  ecclesiologists. 

In  1841  Pugin  left  Salisbury  and  came  to  London,  where  he  resided 


Pugin' s   Tony  in  Italy.  151 


for  some  time  at  Cheyne  Walk,  Chelsea ;  but  having  previously  pur- 
chased ground  at  the  West  Cliff",  Ramsgate,  he  not  only  built  for 
himself  a  large  and  commodious  house  on  that  site,  but  began  at  his  own 
expense  a  church,  which  advanced  from  time  to  time,  as  he  could 
best  spare  the  means  from  his  yearly  income.  In  1844  he  became 
again  a  widower.  His  wife  was  buried  at  St.  Chads,  Birmingham,  a 
church  which  he  had  himself  designed.  Lord  Shrewsbury  showed  his 
respect  and  affection  for  Pugin  by  attending  the  funeral.  This  severe 
loss  was  all  the  more  to  be  deplored,  because  Pugin  had  at  this  time 
reached  the  zenith  of  his  professional  fame.  After  remaining  a  widower 
for  five  years,  he  married  lastly  Miss  Knill,  a  lady  of  good  family. 

In  1847  ne  made  a  tour  in  Italy,  and  his  antipathy  to  Italian  Archi- 
tecture was  in  no  wise  lessened  by  his  visit  to  Rome,  from  which  place 
he  wrote  home  in  utter  disgust  with  St.  Peter's — with  the  Sistine 
Chapel — with  the  Scala  Regia,  and  most  of  the  architectural  (  lions ' 
which  the  ordinary  traveller  feels  bound  to  admire.  The  Mediaeval 
art  of  North  Italy,  however,  rilled  him  with  admiration,  and  confirms 
the  general  opinion  that,  had  he  lived  to  see  the  present  aspect  of  the 
Gothic  Revival,  he  would  have  gone  with  the  stream  in  regard  to 
the  character  of  his  design. 

In  estimating  the  effect  which  Pugin's  efforts,  both  as  an  artist  and 
an  author  produced  on  the  Gothic  Revival,  the  only  danger  lies  in  the 
possibility  of  overrating  their  worth.  The  man  whose  name  was  for  at 
least  a  quarter  of  a  century  a  household  word  in  every  house  where 
ancient  art  was  loved  and  appreciated — who  fanned  into  a  flame  the 
smouldering  fire  of  ecclesiastical  sentiment  which  had  been  slowlv 
kindled  in  this  country — whose  very  faith  was  pledged  to  Mediaeval 
tradition — such  a  writer  and  such  an  architect  will  not  easily  be  forgotten, 
so  long  as  the  aesthetic  principles  which  he  advocated  are  recognised 
and  maintained. 

But  it  must  not  be  overlooked  that  the  tone  cf  his  literary  work  is 
biassed  throughout,  and  to  some  extent  weakened,  first   by  an  absolute 


152  Character  of  Pugin's  Designs. 

assumption  on  the  part  of  its  author  that  the  moral  and  social  condi- 
tion of  England  was  infinitely  superior  in  the  Middle  Ages  to  that  of 
the  present,  and  secondly  that  a  good  architect  ought  to  inaugurate  his 
professional  career  by  adopting  the  faith  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  Such  convictions  as  these  are  excusable  in  the  mind  of  a 
zealous  convert,  but  they  have  no  legitimate  place  in  the  polemics 
of  art. 

Again,  as  a  practical  architect,  it  can  scarcely  be  said  that  Pugin 
always  followed  in  the  spirit  of  his  work  the  principles  which  he  was 
never  tired  of  reiterating  in  print.  If  there  is  one  characteristic  more 
apparent  than  auther  in  the  buildings  of  our  ancestors  it  is  the  ample 
and  generous  m  inner  in  which  they  dealt  with  constructive  materials. 
But  Pugin's  church  walls  are  often  miserably  slight,  his  roof  timbers 
thin,  his  mouldings  poor  and  wiry.  It  may  be  urged — and,  indeed, 
was  more  than  once  urged  by  himself — that  the  restriction  of  cost  had 
often  affected  to  considerable  disadvantage  the  execution  of  his  design. 

To  this  it  must  be  answered  that  stability  of  workmanship  is  a 
primary  condition  of  architectural  excellence,  and  that  in  the  same 
churches  which  exhibit  these  defects  there  is  an  unnecessary  and  even 
profuse  display  of  ornament.  The  money  lavished  on  elaborate  carving 
in  wood  and  stone,  on  painting  and  gilding  work  which  had  better 
in  many  instances  have  been  left  without  this  adventitious  mode  of- 
enrichment,  would  often  have  been  more  advantageously  spent  in  adding  a 
foot  to  the  thickness  of  his  walls  and  doubling  the  width  of  his  rafters. 
The  fact  is,  that  the  very  nature  of  Pugin's  chief  ability  tended  to 
lead  him  into  many  errors.  Of  constructive  science  he  probably  knew 
but  little.  His  strength  as  an  artist  lay  in  the  design  of  ornamental 
detail.  The  facility  with  which  he  invented  patterns  for  mural  diapers, 
and  every  kind  of  surface  decoration,  was  extraordinary.  Those  deco- 
rative features  which  with  many  an  architect  are  the  result  of  thoughtful 
study  were  co.iceivtd  and  drawn  by  him  with  a  rapidity  which  as- 
tonished his  professional  friends.     During  the  erection  of  the  Houses  of 


Pugiris  Facility  of  Invention.  153 

Parliament,  and  while  his  services  were  engaged  to  assist  Mr.  Barry, 
he  dashed  off,  with  a  ready  fancy  and  dexterous  pencil,  hundreds  of 
sketches  which  were  frequently  wanted  on  the  spot,  and  at  a  short 
notice,  for  the  guidance  of  workmen.  Indeed,  even  his  more  important 
designs  were  remarkable  for  their  hasty  execution,  and  were  rarely 
finished  after  the  fashion  of  an  ordinary  f  working  drawing.'  To 
record  on  paper  his  notion  of  a  church  tower,  or  the  plan  of  a  new  con- 
vent, was  with  him — if  a  labour  at  all — a  labour  of  love.*  But  the 
production  of  ornament  he  treated  as  mere  child's  play. 

It  is,  therefore,  no  wonder  that  his  artistic  genius  should  have  been 
often  beguiled  into  an  elaboration  of  details  of  which  his  memory 
supplied  an  inexhaustible  store,  and  which  his  hand  was  ever  ready  to 
delineate.  The  carver,  the  cabinet  maker,  the  silversmith  who  sought 
his  assistance,  or  whose  work  he  was  called  on  to  superintend,  might 
reckon  with  safety  on  the  rich  fertility  of  his  inventive  power,  and  in 
truth  Pugin's  influence  on  the  progress  of  art  manufacture  may  be 
described  as  more  remarkable  than  his  skill  as  an  architect.  For  the 
revival  of  Mediaeval  taste  in  stained  glass  and  metal  work  we  are 
indebted  to  his  association  with  Messrs.  Hardman.  The  attention 
which  he  bestowed  on  ecclesiastical  furniture  has  been  the  means  of 
reviving  the  arts  of  wood-carving  and  embroidery — of  improving  the 
public  taste  in  the  choice  of  carpets  and  paper-hangings.  Those 
establishments  which  are  known  in  London  as  c  ecclesiastical  warehouses ' 
owe  their  existence  and  their  source  of  profit  to  Pugin's  exertions  in  the 
cause  of  rubrical  propriety. 

His  labours  in  that  cause,  and  the  strictures  which  he  ventured  to 
utter  in  connection  with  the  subject,  were  not  confined  to  the  Anglican 
community.  He  found  much  that  was  irregular  and  contrary  to  tradi- 
tion in  the  appointment   and   ceremonies   of  the  church   which  he  had 

*  Many  of  the  etchings  which  he  prepared  for  the  illustration  of  his  books  were  executed 
when  he  was  afloat  on  some  yachting  expedition.  He  was  very  fond  of  the  sea,  and 
would  certainly  have  been  a  sailor  if  he  had  not  been  an  architect. 


154  St.  Giles  s  Church,  Cheadle. 


entered,  and  he  did  his  best  to  reform  what  he  considered  to  be  a 
degeneracy  from  ancient  custom,  and  from  the  true  principles  of 
design.  In  his  essay  on  the  c  Present  State  of  Ecclesiastical  Architec- 
ture in  England,'  he  lays  down,  with  great  care  and  minute  attention  to 
detail,  the  orthodox  plan  and  internal  arrangements  of  a  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  He  describes  the  proper  position  and  purpose  of 
the  chancel  screen,  rood  and  rood  loft ;  the  plan  and  number  of  the 
sedilia ;  the  use  of  the  sacrarium  and  revestry  ;  the  shape  and  furniture 
of  the  altar.  These  are  matters  upon  which  at  the  present  time  the 
clergy  of  neither  church  would  require  much  information  ;  but  it 
must  be  remembered  that  before  Pugin  began  to  write,  ecclesiastical 
sentiment  was  rare,  and  artistic  taste  was  rarer.  The  Roman  Catholics 
had  perverted  the  forms  and  ceremonies  which  pertained  to  the  ancient 
faith.     The  Anglicans  had  almost  forgotten  them. 

But  a  change  was  at  hand  :  a  new  impulse  was  received  from  an 
unexpected  quarter,  which  turned  the  tide  of  popular  interest  towards 
these  matters.  Whether  the  cause  of  religion  has  gained  or  lost  by 
this  movement  need  not  here  be  discussed,  but  that  it  has  been 
advantageous  on  the  whole  to  national  art  there  can  be  no  question. 

One  of  the  most  successful  of  Pugin's  churches  was  that  of  St.  Giles, 
at  Cheadle.  The  arrangement  of  its  short  compact  plan,  the  propor- 
tions of  its  tower  and  spire,  and  the  elaborate  fittings  and  decoration 
of  the  interior,  make  it  as  attractive  an  example  of  Pugin's  skill  as 
could  be  quoted.  Its  chancel  will  certainly  bear  a  favourable  com- 
parison with  that  of  St.  Mary  at  Uttoxeter,  or  that  of  St.  Alban, 
Macclesfield.  Indeed,  in  the  latter  church  the  flat  pitch  of  the  chancel 
roof,  and  the  reedy  >  attenuated  look  of  the  nave  piers  are  very  unsatis- 
factory, nor  does  the  introduction  of  a  clerestory  (a  feature  which,  from 
either  choice  or  necessity,  was  omitted  from  many  of  Pugin's  churches) 
help  in  any  great  degree  to  give  scale  and  proportion  to  the  interior. 

In  London,  the  most  important  work  which  Pugin  executed  was  the 
pro-cathedral  in  St.  George's  Fields,  Westminster.      The  fact  that  the 


St.   Georges  Cathedral,   Westminster.  155 


upper  portion   of  the  tower  and   spire  of  this  church  has  never  been 
completed,  and  the  subsequent  addition  of  buildings  at   the   east  end, 
not  contemplated  in  the  original  design,  make   it   difficult  to  judge  of 
the  exterior  as  a  composition.     But  it   may  fairly  be  doubted  whether, 
under  any  conditions,  it  would  convey  to  the  eye  that  sense  of  grandeur 
and   dignity  which  one   might  reasonably  expect  from  a  structure  of 
such  size.     In  the  first  place,  the  common  yellow  brick   used   for  the 
walls  is  the  meanest  and  most  uninteresting  of  building  materials,  and 
in  London,  where  it  is  chiefly  used,  speedily  acquires   a   dingy  appear- 
ance.    But  independently  of  this  drawback,  there  is  a  want  of  vitality 
about   the  building.     The   pinnacles  which    crown   the  buttresses  are 
cold  and  heavy.     The  carved  work,  though  executed  with  care  and 
even  delicacy   here  and  there,  is  spiritless,  except  in  the  treatment  of 
animal    form.       Crockets    and    ball-flower    ornaments    are    needlessly 
multiplied.     The  tracery  of  the  windows  is  correct  and  aims  at  variety  ; 
and  the  doorways  are  arched  with  orthodox  mouldings,  but  there  is 
scarcely  a  single  feature  in  the  exterior  which  arrests  attention  by  the 
beauty  of  its  form  or  the  aptness  of  its  place. 

Internally  the  nave  is  divided  into  eight  bays,  with  an  aisle  on  either 
side,  carried  to  nearly  the  same  height  as  the  nave.  There  is,  conse- 
quently, no  clerestory.  The  nave  arches  reach  at  their  apex  to  with- 
in a  few  feet  of  the  roof,  and  the  great  height  thus  given  to  the  thinly 
moulded  piers  (unintersected  as  they  are  by  any  horizontal  string  courses, 
which  at  once  lend  scale  and  apparent  strength  to  a  shaft)  is  a  defect 
which  becomes  apparent  at  first  sight.  The  aisle  walls  are  singularly 
slight  for  so  large  a  church,  and  one  looks  in  vain  for  the  bold  splay 
and  deep  reveal  which  are  characteristic  of  old  fenestration. 

Still  there  are  features  in  the  interior  which  reflect  no  small  credit  on 
the  architect  when  one  remembers  the  date  of  its  erection  (1843). 
The  double  chancel  screen,  with  its  graceful  arches  and  light  tracery, 
though  suggestive  of  wood-work  rather  than  stone  in  design,  is  pic- 
turesque, and  is  effectively  relieved  against  the  dimly-lighted   chancel 


156  5/.   Chad's  C/utrch,  Birmingham. 


behind.  The  chancel  itself  was  said  to  have  been  well  studied  from 
ancient  models.  Architects  of  the  present  day  may  smile  at  the  sim- 
plicity of  its  reredos,  a  row  of  ten  narrow  niches  be-pinnacled,  and 
canopied,  and  crocketed,  each  containing  a  small  figure,  flanked  by  two 
broader  and  higher  niches  of  the  same  design,  each  containing  a  larger 
figure.  But  here  again  one  must  bear  in  mind  that  these  details  were 
designed  and  executed  at  a  time  when  such  design  and  such  execution 
rose  to  the  level  of  high  artistic  excellence  beside  contemporary  work. 
Pugin  had  with  the  greatest  patience  trained  the  artisans  whom  he 
employed,  and  whatever  may  be  said  of  the  aim  of  their  efforts,  no  one 
can  doubt  its  refinement.  We  have  far  more  accomplished  architects  in 
1871  than  we  had  thirty  years  ago,  but  it  may  be  doubted  whether  we 
have  more  skilful  workmen. 

The  church  of  St.  Chad,  at  Birmingham,  may  fairly  be  ranked 
among  Pugin's  most  important  works.  In  plan  it  presents  no  great 
peculiarity,  but  the  sloping  line  of  the  ground  on  which  it  stands,  the 
lofty  height  of  its  nave,  the  towers  which  flank  its  western  front,  and 
the  sculpture  with  which  it  is  enriched,  combine  to  give  a  character 
to  its  exterior  which  is  wanting  in  many  of  Pugin's  churches.  The 
general  effect  indicates  some  tendency  on  the  part  of  the  designer  to  a 
taste  for  German  Gothic,  without,  however,  any  careful  reproduction  of 
its  noblest  features.  Indeed,  a  glance  at  the  details  reveals  at  once  the 
period  of  its  erection — that  period  in  which  after  long  disuse  the  tradi- 
tions of  Mediaeval  art  were  revived  in  the  letter  rather  than  the  spirit. 
Its  slate-roofed  spires  are  c  broached  '  at  an  abrupt  and  ungraceful 
angle.  Its  buttresses  are  long  and  lean,  with  f  set-offs  '  at  rare  intervals, 
and  coarsely  accentuated.  Its  walls  of  brick — once  red,  but  now  toned 
down  by  time  and  the  noxious  smoke  of  Birmingham  to  dingy  brown — 
have  a  mean  impoverished  look  about  them,  which  is  scarcely  redeemed 
by  the  freestone  tracery  of  its  windows,  or  the  canopied  and  really 
cleverly-carved  figures  which  adorn  its  western  portal. 

Internally    the  building  displays  evidence  of  Pugin's   strength  and 


S/ dined  Glass  in  St.   Chad's.  157 


weakness  in  an  eminent  degree.  The  chancel  fittings,  the  rood  screen 
with  its  sacred  burden,  the  altar  tombs — in  a  word,  the  furniture  of  the 
church — are,  if  we  accept  the  motive  of  the  style  in  which  they  are 
designed,  as  correct  in  form  as  any  antiquary  could  wish,  and  are 
wrought  with  marvellous  refinement.  But  in  general  effect  the  interior 
is  far  from  satisfactory.  The  attenuated  and  lanky  nave  piers  rise  to 
such  a  disproportionate  height  as  scarcely  to  leave  room  for  the  arches 
which  surmount  them.  The  walls  are  thin  and  poor,  the  roof  timbers 
slight  and  weak  looking.  There  is  no  clerestory,  and  the  aisle  roofs 
follow  that  of  the  nave  in  one  continuous  slope.  The  aisles  are  more- 
over extraordinarily  high  in  proportion  to  their  width.  An  English  poet 
has  described  to  us  the  beauties  of  the  <  long-drawn  aisle,'  but  here  the 
aisles  appear  to  have  been  drawn  out  the  wrong  way.  The  chancel  is 
of  far  better  proportions,  and  with  its  elaborate  rood  screen  richly  gilt 
and  painted,  its  oak  fittings  and  bishop's  throne,  its  canopied  reredos 
and  mural  decoration,  is  decidedly  the  feature  par  excellence  of  this  church.* 
The  rest  of  the  interior  is  plain,  and  depends  for  its  effect  on  the 
stained  glass  used  in  the  windows.  Much  of  this  glass  is  well  designed 
so  far  as  the  drawing  of  figures  and  character  of  ornament  are  concerned, 
but  it  has  the  all-important  defect  which  distinguished  most  of  the  glass 
of  this  period,  viz. — a  crude  and  inharmonious  association  of  colour. 
This  is  especially  noticeable  in  the  windows  of  a  chapel  in  the  north 
aisle,  where  the  tints  used  are  peculiarly  harsh  and  offensive. 

In  no  department  of  decorative  art  have  the  works  of  the  Middle 
Ages  been  until  recently  so  hopelessly  misunderstood  and  so  cruelly 
burlesqued  as  in  the  design  of  stained  glass.  In  the  last  century  the 
inventions  of  Reynolds,  of  West,  and  others  plainly  indicate  the  pre- 
vailing belief  that  a  painted  window  should  be  a  transparent  picture ; 

*  In  the  north  aisle  is  an  altar  tomb  of  Caen  stone  with  an  elaborately  carved  ogival 
canopy  in  the  style  of  late  decorated  examples.  It  is  cleverly  designed,  and  executed  with 
great  refinement  of  detail  and  astonishing  delicacy  of  workmanship.  This  tomb  was 
erected  in  1852.     It  had  been  previously  sent  to  the  Great  Exhibition  of  185 1. 


158  Character  of  Ancient  Glass. 


and  when  Sir  Joshua  filled  the  west  end  of  New  College  Chapel  at 
Oxford  with  work  of  this  description,  he  probably  conceived  that  it 
was  a  great  advance  on  the  style  of  old  glass — fifteenth- century  glass — 
specimens  of  which  may  still  be  seen  by  its  side.  How  far  this  notion 
was  correct  may  be  judged  by  any  intelligent  amateur  who  will  compare 
the  two  works.  The  effect  of  Sir  Joshua's  window,  with  its  simpering 
nymphs  who  have  stepped  on  pedestals  in  order  to  personate  the  Virtues, 
is  cold  and  lifeless,  while  the  old  glass,  quaint  and  conventional  though  it 
may  be  in  its  abstractive  treatment  of  natural  form,  glows  with  generous 
colour,  which  acquires  double  value  from  the  fact  that  it  is  broken  up 
into  a  thousand  various  shapes  by  the  intersecting  lines  of  lead  as  it 
crosses  the  glass  at  every  conceivable  angle. 

The  glass  stainers  of  Pugin's  time  did  not  indeed  fall  into  the  error 
of  supposing  that  they  could  treat  the  design  of  windows  after  the  same 
fashion  as  an  easel  picture.  But  it  is  evident  that  they  and  their  suc- 
cessors for  years  after  gave  less  attention  to  the  question  of  colour  than 
to  the  drawing  and  grouping  of  their  figures.  The  saints  and  angels 
of  old  glass  are,  it  must  be  admitted,  neither  very  saintly  nor  angelic  in 
their  action,  if  we  are  to  regard  them  in  the  light  of  pictorial  represen- 
tations. But  we  may  be  sure  that  neither  the  most  profound  hagio- 
logist,  nor  the  sincerest  devotee,  nor  the  most  enlightened  amateur  who 
has  visited  the  cathedrals  of  York  and  Exeter,  has  regretted  this  fact 
in  the  very  slightest  degree.  As  well  might  a  connoisseur  of  (  six  mark ' 
China  deplore  the  want  of  probability  in  every  incident  portrayed  on  a 
Nankin  vase,  or  an  admirer  of  old  textile  art  object  to  the  nondescript 
forms  which  pass  for  leaves  and  flowers  on  a  Turkey  carpet ! 

The  truth  is  that  in  the  apparent  imperfections  of  some  arts  lies  the 
real  secret  of  their  excellence.  The  superior  quality  of  colour  which 
long  distinguished  old  glass  from  new  was  due  in  a  great  measure  to  its 
streakyness  and  irregularity  of  tint.  In  the  early  days  of  the  Revival 
this  was  regarded  as  a  defect,  while  the  quaint  and  angular  forms  by 
which,  in  old  work,  the  human  figure  was  typified  or  suggested,  rather 
than  represented,  were  deemed  barbarous  and  ungraceful. 


Defects  of  Modern  Glass.  159 

So  our  enlightened  art  reformers  of  the  nineteenth  century  set  to 
work  to  remedy  these  faults.  They  produced  a  glass  without  blemish  ; 
their  figures  were  drawn  and  shaded  with  academical  propriety.  But 
this  was  not  all.  It  occurred  to  them  that  by  using  larger  pieces  of 
glass  they  might  dispense  with  half  the  dull  heavy  lines  of  lead  which 
meandered  over  the  old  windows.  Finally,  they  determined  that  the 
odd-looking  patches  of  white  or  slightly  tinted  glass  which  they  found 
in  ancient  work  should  be  replaced  in  their  designs  by  glass  as  brilliant 
as  the  rest. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  contemporary  opinion  of  these  sup- 
posed '  improvements,'*  the  modern  critic  can  scarcely  fail  to  regard 
them  as  thorough  blunders. 

Every  one  now  admits  that  the  conditions  of  design  in  a  painted 
window  belong  to  decorative,  not  to  imitative  art.  It  was  with  a  wise 
purpose — or  at  least  with  a  sound  instinct,  that  the  old  craftsman 
shaped  those  awkward  heroes  and  graceless  saints  in  his  window — 
crossed  their  forms  with  abrupt  black  lines  of  lead,  and  left  broad 
spaces  of  delicate  grisaille  to  relieve  the  more  positive  colours  of  their 
robes.  The  advantage  of  such  treatment  will  be  best  measured  by 
those  who  take  the  trouble  to  compare  it  with  the  blaze  of  ill-associated 
colour  and  dull  propriety  of  outline  which  distinguish  the  glass  manu- 
factured some  forty  years  ago.  In  our  own  time,  indeed,  accomplished 
designers  like  Mr.  Burne  Jones  and  Mr.  Holiday  have  aimed  at  com- 
bining a  certain  abstract  grace  of  form  with  beauty  of  colour,  but  the 
instances  of  such  success  are  rare,  and  even  when  they  occur  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  such  designs  would  not  have  been  doubly  admirable  if 
employed  for  mural  decoration. 

The  Church  of  St.  Wilfrid,  in  Manchester  (built  externally  of  red 

*  In  a  letter  signed  'Philotechnicos,'  which  appears  in  the  'Civil  Engineers'  Journal'  for 
1837,  the  following  passage  occurs  : — 

*  Many  persons  have  an  extraordinary  idea  that  the  art  of  painting  on  glass  is  lost.  Lost 
forsooth!  why'the  idea  is  the  most  fallacious  that  ever  existed;  and  so  far  is  it  from  the  fact, 
that  the  present  state  of  excellence  was  never  before  equalled.'  (!) 


160  Chunk  of  St.   IVilfrid,  Manchester. 


brick),  exhibits  in  the  design  of  its  nave  arcade  a  more  refined  sense  of 
proportion  than  is  observable  in  many  of  Pugin's  larger  works.  Here 
the  piers  are  (comparatively)  short,  and  the  arches  which  they  support 
are  acutely  pointed.  The  aisle  windows  are  narrow,  and,  indeed,  would, 
no  doubt,  have  been  insufficient  for  light,  but  for  those  of  the  clerestory 
with  which  the  church  is  provided.  The  rood  screen — that  indispen- 
sable feature  in  Pugin's  churches,  and  one  which  subsequently  became  the 
subject  of  much  controversy,  is  richly  painted.  The  treatment  of  the 
altar  and  reredos  is  extremely  simple,  but  far  more  dignified  than  the 
fussy  elaboration  of  those  objects  in  some  examples  of  later  work. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  features  in  the  church  is  the  stone  pulpit, 
which  does  not  stand  isolated,  but  is  corbelled  out  from  the  wall  on  the 
south  side  of  the  chancel  arch. 

One  of  the  main  objections  which  were  raised  against  the  revival 
of  Gothic  for  Church  Architecture  at  this  time  was  the  additional 
expense  which  it  involved  when  compared  with  the  soi-disant  classic  style 
which  had  been  so  long  in  vogue.  Pugin  determined  that  St.  Wilfrid's, 
which  was  erected  in  1842,  should  prove,  both  in  its  design  and  execu- 
tion the  fallacy  of  this  notion.  How  far  he  succeeded  in  this  en- 
deavour may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  entire  cost  of  the  church 
(which  will  hold  a  congregation  of  about  800  persons)  and  of  the  priest's 
house  attached  to  it,  did  not  exceed  5,000/.  Although  Pugin  was  thus 
not  unwilling  to  enter  the  lists  with  utilitarians  in  a  financial  sense,  he 
strongly  objected  to  be  led  by  their  arguments  in  matters  which  affected 
his  artistic  views.  The  chancel  of  St.  Wilfrid's  was  found  to  be  very 
dark,  and  some  time  after  its  erection  enquiry  was  made  of  him,  as  the 
architect  of  the  church,  whether  there  would  be  any  objection  to  intro- 
duce a  small  skylight  in  its  roof,  just  behind  the  chancel  arch,  where  it 
would  be  serviceable  without  obtruding  on  the  design.  Pugin  sternly 
refused  to  sanction — even  on  these  conciliatory  terms — the  adoption  of 
any  such  plan,  which  he  declared  would  have  the  effect  of  reducing  his 
sanctuary  to  the  level  of  a  Manchester  warehouse. 


Si.  Maries  Church%  Liverpool.  161 

St.  Marie's  Church,  Liverpool,  is  an  early  and  interesting  example  of 
Pugin's  skill.  It  is  built  of  local  red  sandstone,  and  displays  in  the 
mouldings  of  its  door  jambs  and  fashion  of  its  window  tracery  consider- 
able refinement  of  detail.  It  has  no  chancel  in  the  proper  sense  of  the 
word,  but  the  easternmost  part  of  the  nave  serves  for  that  purpose. 
The  nave  arches  are  acutely  pointed,  and  their  mouldings  die  into  an 
octagonal  block  just  above  the  impost  moulding  of  the  pier.  The 
peculiarity  of  this  treatment  is  the  more  remarkable  when  we  remember 
the  stereotyped  appearance  which  a  nave  arcade  of  this  date  (1838) 
usually  presented,  and  the  narrow  license  which  was  then  accorded  to 
inventive  taste  in  the  design  of  such  features. 

St.  Marie's,  in  its  plan  as  well  as  in  the  general  character  of  its  com- 
position, is  essentially  a  town  church.  It  is  now,  and  probably  always 
was,  surrounded  by  lofty  warehouses  of  gaunt  and  dismal  exterior,  but 
stored  inside,  no  doubt,  with  ample  fruits  of  human  labour  and  com- 
mercial industry.  It  is  curious  to  turn  aside  from  the  narrow,  dirty, 
bustling  streets  in  which  these  buildings  stand,  and  find  oneself  at  once 
so  suddenly  and  so  thoroughly  removed  from  the  noise  and  turmoil 
of  the  outside  world  in  this  fair,  quiet,  modest  house  of  prayer.  It  has 
no  claim  to  architectural  grandeur.  It  was  built  at  a  melancholy  period 
of  British  art.  Its  structural  features  just  do  their  duty  and  nothing 
more.  The  nave,  which  is  of  great  length,  has  been  left  plain  and  un- 
derrated. But  on  the  f  wall-veil '  and  altar  fittings  at  the  east  end  of 
the  church  both  architect  and  workman  have  lavished  their  utmost 
skill.  The  reredos  of  the  high  altar  is  extremely  simple  in  general 
form  but  exhibits  great  refinement  of  detail.  That  of  the  Lady  Chapel 
is  most  elaborate  in  design  and  workmanship.  Figures,  niches,  canopies, 
pinnacles,  crockets,  and  finials  crowd  into  a  sumptuous  group — worthy 
of  the  best  workmanship  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fourteenth  century. 
Modern  critics  urge  with  reason  that  that  period  affords  by  no  means 
the  best  type  of  Mediaeval  art  for  our  imitation.  The  revived  taste  for 
Gothic,  which  in  our  own  day  at  first  manifested  itself  in  a  reproduction 

M 


1 62  Excess  of  Decoration. 


of  Tudor  mansions  and  churches  of  the  Perpendicular  style,  has  been 
gradually  attracted  towards  earlier — and  still  earlier — types.  But  we 
must  remember  that  in  Pugin's  time  late  Decorated  work  was  still 
admired  as  the  most  perfect  development  of  Pointed  Architecture,  and 
he  certainly  did  his  best  to  maintain  its  popularity.  The  altar  and 
reredos  in  the  Lady  Chapel  of  St.  Marie  are  real  gems  in  their  way, 
and  may  be  cited  as  specimens  not  only  of  Pugin's  thorough  know- 
ledge  of  detail,  but  also  of  the  success  with  which  in  a  very  few  years 
he  had  managed  to  educate  up  to  a  standard  of  excellence,  not  realised 
during  many  previous  generations,  the  art-workmen  whom  he  entrusted 
to  execute  his  designs. 

Whether  such  excessive  elaboration  was  judicious  in  a  town  church 
so  dimly  lighted  as  St.  Marie's — whether  it  was  even  justifiable  in  a 
building  whose  structural  features  are  certainly  on  no  generous  scale  of 
stability,  may  be  questioned.  It  has  frequently  been  affirmed,  and  with 
some  show  of  reason,  that  Pugin  enriched  his  churches  at  a  sacrifice  of 
their  strength — that  he  starved  his  roof-tree  to  gild  his  altar.  It  is 
only  fair,  however,  to  point  out  that  in  many  instances  where  this 
apparent  inconsistency  has  been  observed,  although  the  buildings  were 
commenced  with  but  slender  funds,  subscriptions  or  bequests  were 
added  just  as  the  works  approached  completion,  and  that  the  architect  was 
thus  called  upon  to  spend  in  mere  decoration  money  which,  if  it  had  been 
available  earlier,  he  would  gladly  have  devoted  to  a  worthier  purpose. 

It  is  certain  that  in  the  one  work  which  he  carried  out  completely  to 
his  own  satisfaction,  because  he  was  in  this  case — to  use  his  own  words 
«  paymaster,  architect,  and  builder,'  there  is  no  stint  of  solidity  in  con- 
struction. For  that  reason  the  church  of  St.  Augustine,  which  he  founded 
at  Ramsgate,  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  his  most  successful  achieve- 
ments. Its  plan,  which  is  singularly  ingenious  and  unconventional  in 
arrangement,  consists  of  a  chancel  about  thirty-five  feet  long,  and  divided 
into  two  bays,  with  a  Lady  Chapel  on  its  south  side,  a  central  tower 
and  south  transept  only,  a  nave  and  south  aisle.     The  outer  bay  of 


Church  of  St.  Augustine,  Ramsgate. 

The  late  A.  II'.  Pugin,  Architect,  1S42. 


St.  Augustine's,  Ramsgate.  163 

the  south  transept  is  divided  from  the  rest  of  the  church  by  a  richly- 
carved  oak  screen,  and  forms  the  c  Pugin  Chantry  Chapel.'  The 
annexed  view  is  taken  from  under  the  tower  looking  south.  It  shows 
the  screen  of  the  Pugin  Chantry,  the  arch  in  front  of  the  Lady  Chapel, 
and  a  portion  of  the  rood  screen. 

The  whole  church  is  lined  internally  with  ashlar  stone  of  a  warm 
grey  colour,  the  woodwork  of  the  screen,  stalls,  &c,  being  of  dark 
oak.  The  general  tone  of  the  interior,  lighted  as  it  is  by  stained  glass 
windows  (executed  by  Hardman,  and  very  fair  for  their  time),  is  most 
agreeable  and  wonderfully  suggestive  of  old  work.  The  roofs  of  the 
chancel,  Lady  Chapel,  and  transept  are  panelled  ;  those  of  the  nave 
and  aisles  are  open  timbered,  but  all  are  executed  in  oak.  The  altars 
and  font  are  of  Caen  stone,  richly  sculptured.  On  them,  as  well  as  on 
the  rood  screen  and  choir  stalls,  Pugin  has  bestowed  that  careful  study 
of  detail  for  which,  in  his  time,  he  stood  unrivalled.*  The  exterior  of 
the  church  is  simple  but  picturesque  in  outline.  As  a  composition  it 
can  scarcely  be  considered  complete  in  its  present  state,  seeing  that 
Pugin  intended  to  carry  up  the  tower  a  storey  higher  than  it  is  at 
present,  and  to  roof  it  with  a  slate  spire. f  The  walls  are  of  cut  flint, 
with  string-courses  and  dressings  of  dark  yellow  stone.  No  student 
or  lover  of  old  English  Architecture  can  examine  this  interesting  little 
church  without  perceiving  the  thoughtful,  earnest  care  with  which  it  has 
been  designed  and  executed,  down  to  the  minutest  detail.  It  is  evident 
that  Pugin  strove  to  invest  the  building  with  local  traditions  of  style. 
This  is  shown  in  its  general  arrangement,  the  single  transept  and  other 
peculiarities  of  plan  being  characteristic  of  Kent. 

*  A  lofty  wooden  canopy  over  the  font  was  exhibited  in  the  Mediaeval  Court  of  the 
Crystal  Palace  in  1851  and  attracted  much  attention. 

f  It  seems  a  great  pity  that  this  feature,  which  would  add  so  much  to  the  external 
appearance  of  the  church,  should  be  left  unfinished  nearly  twenty  years  after  Pugin's  death. 
Surely  some  of  the  numerous  art  manufacturers  who  profited  so  largely  by  Pugin's  genius 
might  now  subscribe  between  them  the  small  sum  (probably  about  50c/.)  required  for  this 
purpose,  and  thus  do  honour  to  his  memory  by  completing  his  favourite  work. 

m  2 


164  Pugin  House  at  Ramsgate. 

Close  to  the  west  end  of  St.  Augustine's  Church  is  Pugin's  house, 
externally  a  very  simple  and  unpretending  brick  building  with  a  square 
embattled  tower  of  no  great  height,  a  steep  roof,  and  mullioned 
windows.  The  internal  plan  is  one  which  no  doubt  was  convenient  and 
pleasing  to  Pugin  himself,  but  which  would  hardly  meet  the  modern 
requirements  of  an  ordinary  home.  The  principal  entrance  (from  a 
paved  courtyard  at  the  back  of  the  house)  opens  at  once  on  a  hall 
which  is  carried  up  to  the  entire  height  of  the  building.  Two  sides  of 
this  hall  are  occupied  by  a  staircase  ;  the  other  two,  wooden  galleries 
are  bracketed  out,  and  give  access  to  the  bedrooms  above.  This 
is  a  picturesque  arrangement,  but  open  to  objection,  inasmuch  as 
it  would  appear  impossible  for  inmates  to  pass  from  one  reception 
room  to  another,  or  to  reach  the  rooms  above,  without  coming 
within  sight  of  the  entrance  door.  The  drawing  rooms  (on  the 
right  of  the  hall)  are  fitted  with  carved  stone  mantel-pieces  and 
panelled  ceilings  of  mahogany — a  wood  which  Pugin  seems  to  have 
liked  very  much — the  centre  of  each  panel  being  painted  with  some 
conventional  ornament. 

The  dining  room,  which  is  opposite  the  entrance  doorway,  is  a  well 
proportioned  apartment,  depending  chiefly  on  panelled  work  for  its 
decoration.  Here  may  be  seen  some  of  the  quaint  furniture  which 
Pugin  so  cleverly  and  readily  designed.  The  walls  are  papered  with 
the  armorial  bearings  of  the  Pugin  family — a  black  martlet  with  the 
motto  t  En  avant.'  The  windows  throughout  the  house  are  fitted  with 
casements,  the  modern  sash  being  among  the  owner's  peculiar  aversions. 
Plate  glass  was  permitted  in  those  windows  which  command  a  sea  view, 
but  small  c  quarried '  glazing  is  chiefly  adopted  for  the  others.* 

Attached  to  the  house  is  a  small  but  well-proportioned  private 
chapel,  the  interior  of  which  is  very  effective  in  design. 

*  In  Scarisbrick  Hall,  when  Pugin  was  employed  as  architect,  the  leadwork  of  the 
windows  in  front  of  the  house  was  gilded.  The  effect,  as  may  be  supposed,  is  very  rich 
and  beautiful. 


Pugin's  other  I  Forks.  165 

The  list  of  Pugin's  works  is  a  long  one,  including  churches,  besides 
those  already  mentioned,  at  Derby,  Kenilworth,  Cambridge,  Stockton- 
on-Tees,  Nevvcastle-on-Tyne,  Preston,  Rugby,  Northampton,  Ponte- 
fract,  Nottingham,  Woolwich,  and  a  host  of  other  places.  Bilton 
Grange,  erected  for  Captain  W.  Hibbert,  Warwick ;  Lord  Dun- 
raven's  seat  at  Adare,  in  Ireland  (since  remodelled  by  Mr.  P.  C.  Hard- 
wick),  Scarisbrick  Hall,  St.  John's  Hospital,  Alton,  and  the  restora- 
tion at  Chirk  Castle,  Denbighshire,  may  be  mentioned  among  his  works 
in  domestic  architecture.  But  notwithstanding  the  size  and  importance 
of  some  of  these  buildings,  it  must  be  confessed  that  in  his  house  and 
the  church^at  Ramsgate  one  recognises  more  thorough  and  genuine 
examples  of  Pugin's  genius  and  strongly  marked  predilections  for 
Mediaeval  architecture  than  elsewhere.  With  one  great  national  un- 
dertaking, indeed,  his  name  has  been  intimately  associated.  But  this 
marks  so  important  a  stage  in  the  history  of  the  Gothic  Revival,  that 
it  must  be  reserved  for  another  chapter. 


*  m  3 


1 66  The  late  Sir  Charles  Barry. 


CHAPTER   X. 

HE  development  of  modern  art  in  most  countries  may  be 
generally  assigned  to  one  and  sometimes  in  succession  to 
each  of  three  causes  :  individual  genius,  public  sentiment, 
and  State  patronage.  We  have  seen  that  the  two  first  were  not 
wanting  in  England  to  promote  the  cause  of  Gothic  architecture.  An 
event  was  now  at  hand  which  helped  to  secure  for  it  the  last,  and  in  its 
day  the  most  important  impetus.  The  incidents  which  attended  the 
selection  of  Mr.  Charles  Barry's  design  for  the  Houses  of  Parliament 
are  among  the  most  interesting  in  the  history  of  the  Revival.  His 
earliest  efforts  in  the  direction  of  Mediaeval  design  were  creditable 
for  their  time,  but  by  no  means  extraordinary.  As  a  student  he 
had  given  little  or  no  attention  to  the  style.  In  his  first  Continental 
tour  he  had  turned  aside  from  the  magnificent  west  front  of  Rouen 
Cathedral  to  sketch  a  modern  classic  church.  In  Paris,  Notre-Dame 
and  the  Sainte  Chapelle  had  but  small  attractions  for  him.  But 
the  Italian  palaces  filled  him  with  genuine  admiration  and  afforded 
models  for  his  imitation  in  many  a  London  club-house  and  private 
English  mansion,  whose  merits  having  been  fully  acknowledged  and 
described  elsewhere  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  mention  in  these  pages, 
further  than  by  remarking  that  they  contributed  for  some  years,  and 
indeed  still  tend,  to  divide  public  taste  on  the  question  of  national 
style — at  least  so  far  as  the  modern  buildings  of  this  metropolis  are 
concerned. 

It    is    curious,    however,   that    the    first  works    of  any   importance 
entrusted  to  him  were  two  churches — one  at  Prestwich  and  the  other 


Barry  s  early  IVorks.  167 

at  Campficld,  Manchester.  They  were  designed  in  a  style  which  no 
doubt  at  the  time  (1822)  passed  for  very  satisfactory  Gothic,  though 
in  after  life  he  looked  back  with  no  small  amusement  at  these  early 
efforts.  St.  Peter's  Church,  Brighton — the  commission  for  which  he 
gained  in  competition  soon  after — was  a  more  important  building, 
and  though  far  from  realising  the  genuine  spirit  of  Mediaeval  archi- 
tecture was  probably  not  surpassed  by  any  contemporary  architect — 
Rickman  alone  excepted.  In  1826  he  was  employed  by  the  Rev. 
D.  Wilson,  Rector  of  Islington,*  to  design  three  churches  :  one  at 
Holloway,  another  at  Ball's  Pond,  and  another  in  Cloudesley  Square. 
It  would  be  fruitless  to  enter  upon  any  description  of  these  and  many 
other  similar  structures  which,  under  the  general  name  of  Gothic,  were 
erected  in  England  about  this  time.  In  spite  of  the  large  sums  which 
in  many  instances  were  spent  on  their  execution,  it  can  scarcely  be 
denied  that  they  fail  to  realise  in  any  important  degree  even  the  general 
forms — still  less  the  decorative  details  of  ancient  work.  The  cause  of 
this  deficiency  must  not  be  ascribed  to  mere  ignorance.  It  is  true  that 
up  to  this  time  the  buildings  of  the  Middle  Ages  had  been  but 
imperfectly  studied.  But  a  man  of  Barry's  zeal  and  artistic  ability 
might  soon  have  overcome  this  obstacle.  The  venerable  parish 
churches  of  England  were  open  to  his  inspection,  and  would  have 
served  him  for  models  as  excellent  in  their  way  as  the  palaces  of 
Florence  and  of  Venice,  which,  by  the  aid  of  his  dexterous  pencil,  as 
with  a  magic  wand,  he  had  summoned  to  Pall  Mall.  The  truth  is 
he  did  not  imitate  the  ancient  types  of  Ecclesiastical  Architecture, 
partly  because  he  had  not  studied  them,  but  chiefly  because  he  did  not 
care  to  do  so.  In  the  interesting  Life  of  Sir  Charles  which  has 
recently  been  published,  his  opinions  on  this  point  are  clearly  and 
definitely  expressed : — 

He  himself  felt  strongly  that  the  forms  of  Mediaeval  art,  beautiful  as  they  are, 
do  not  always  adapt  themselves  thoroughly  to  the  needs  of  a  service   which  is 

*  Afterwards  Bishop  of  Calcutta. 


1 68         Barry  s  Views  of  Church  Architecture. 

essentially  one  of  '  Common  Prayer.'  Deep  chancels,  high  rood  screens,  and  (in 
less  degree)  pillared  aisles,  seemed  to  him  to  belong  to  the  worship  and  institutions 
of  the  past  rather  than  the  present.  Time-honoured  as  they  were,  he  would  have 
in  some  degree  put  them  aside,  and  accepting  Gothic  as  the  style  for  Church 
Architecture  he  would  have  preferred  those  forms  of  it  which  secured  uninter- 
rupted space,  and  gave  a  perfect  sense  of  unity  in  the  congregation,  even  at  the 
cost  of  sacrificing  features  beautiful  in  themselves,  and  perhaps  of  interfering 
with  the  '  dim  religious  light '  of  impressiveness  and  solemnity. 

It  is  probable  that  these  views  would  find  but  little  favour  among 
professional  admirers  of  Gothic  at  the  present  day,  and  by  some  indeed 
they  would  be  accounted  as  flat  heresy.  But  when  Barry  was  a  young 
man  ecclesiastical  sentiment  was  at  a  discount.  Those  extreme  forms 
of  ceremonial  in  public  worship,  which,  whether  rightly  or  wrongly, 
are  described  as  a  revival  of  ancient  Anglican  usage,  were  almost 
unknown  and  were  certainly  unadopted.  Forty  years  ago  a  cross  on 
the  gable  of  a  church  or  on  the  back  of  a  prayer-book  would  have 
seemed  like  rank  popery  in  the  eyes  of  many  honest  folks  who  have 
lived  to  see  the  English  Communion  Service  gradually  assimilated  to 
the  Roman  Mass. 

But  if  Barry  had  little  sympathy  with  the  revival  of  Church 
Architecture  modelled  on  Mediaeval  plans,  he  certainly  deserves  credit 
for  the  attention  which,  in  spite  of  his  Italian  proclivities,  he  gave  to 
the  study  of  domestic  Gothic.  His  design  for  King  Edward  VI. 's 
School  at  Birmingham  exhibits  a  remarkable  advance  in  the  knowledge 
of  that  late  development  of  the  style  which  is  generally  described  as 
Perpendicular '  work,  and  it  may  safely  be  assumed  that  at  the  time 
the  building  was  commenced  (1833)  no  contemporary  architect  could 
have  achieved  a  more  satisfactory  result.  Those  who  examine 
the  facade  towards  High  Street  (and  the  conditions  of  the  site  were 
such  as  to  admit  only  of  a  street  front)  cannot  fail  to  recognise 
many  peculiarities  of  detail  which  were  afterwards  reproduced  in 
the    Houses    of    Parliament.       And    this     fact    may    be    especially 


Destruction  of  the  Old  Houses  of  Parliament.     169 

recommended  to  the  attention  of  critics  who  have  ventured  to  question 
the  authorship  of  the  latter  design  with  which  his  name  has  been  chiefly- 
associated. 

It  was  on  the  night  of  October  16,  1834,  that  Mr.  Barry,  as  we  are 
informed  by  his  biographer,  was  returning  to  London  on  the  Brighton 
coach,  when  a  red  glare  of  light  illumining  the  horizon  warned  him  of 
that  memorable  fire  which  caused  the  destruction  of  the  old  Palace 
of  Westminster,  and  was  the  indirect  means  of  raising  him  to  fame  and 
fortune.  The  history  of  the  professional  competition  in  which  this 
able  and  industrious  architect  won  the  great  prize  of  his  life,  has  been 
in  one  form  or  another  frequently  narrated,  and  is  probably  familiar  to 
all  who  take  an  interest  in  the  fact  itself  or  in  the  various  circumstances 
by  which  it  is  surrounded.  That  the  rapidly  developing  taste  for 
ancient  English  architecture  had  by  this  time  assumed  a  national  and 
definite  character  may  be  assumed  from  the  fact  that  a  Parliamentary 
Committee,  in  drawing  up  the  terms  of  the  competition,  stipulated  that 
the  design  for  the  new  buildings  should  be  either  Gothic  or  Elizabethan. 
This  condition,  indeed,  left  a  wide  range  of  choice  open  to  the  com- 
petitors. Pointed  architecture  had  passed  through  many  distinct 
phases  of  style  from  the  time  of  the  Plantagenets  to  that  of  the  Tudor 
line.  There  was  the  Early  English  type,  with  its  dignified  simplicity 
of  outline,  its  noble  conventionalism  of  sculptured  forms,  its  stout, 
bold  buttresses,  and  pure  arch  contour.  There  was  the  Fourteenth 
Century  type,  with  its  maturer  development  of  decorative  features,  its 
foliated  window  tracery,  its  enriched  mouldings,  its  elaborate  niches 
and  canopies.  And,  thirdly,  there  was  the  Perpendicular  type  which, 
deficient  in  many  of  the  characteristic  graces  of  its  predecessors, 
debased  in  general  form,  vulgarised  in  ornamental  detail,  and  de- 
generate in  constructive  principles,  still  retained  enough  of  the  old 
traditional  element  of  design  to  justify  its  title  to  nationality. 
But  whatever  may  have  been  the  standard  of  taste  in  days  when  King's 
College    Chapel    was  regarded    as    the    crowning  glory  of  Gothic,   it 


1 70         The  House  of  Parliament  Competition. 

requires  no  great  discernment  on  the  part  of  modern  critics  to  perceive 
both  in  the  Tudor  and  in  the  Elizabethan  styles  abundant  evidences  of 
a  fallen  art.  Roman  Doric  is  not  more  essentially  inferior  to  Greek 
Doric  :  the  age  of  Valerian  does  not  exhibit  a  greater  decline  from  the 
age  of  Augustus  :  the  school  of  Carlo  Dolce  is  not  further  removed 
from  the  School  of  Mantegna  :  than  English  architecture  in  the  days 
of  the  last  Henry  ranks  below  that  in  the  reign  of  the  first  Edward. 

It  is  perhaps  not  surprising  that  in  the  earliest  period  of  the  Revival, 
professional  designers  should  have  sought  their  inspiration  among  those 
examples  of  Pointed  work  which  were — so  to  speak — freshest  from  the 
hands  of  the  mason,  and  therefore  more  complete  and  more  numerous 
than  earlier  specimens.  To  take  up  the  thread  of  traditional  art  where 
it  had  been  dropped  was,  if  not  the  wisest,  at  least  the  most  obvious 
and  the  most  natural  course.  But  the  clue,  if  it  was  to  lead  to  excel- 
lence, could  only  lead  in  one  direction,  and  that  was  backwards.  Un- 
fortunately this  fact  was  not  at  first  perceived.  With  a  few  rare 
exceptions,  all  architects  interested  in  the  Revival  devoted  themselves  to 
the  study  of  Perpendicular  work,  and  there  their  devotion  ended.  The 
designs  of  Reginald  Bray  and  John  Hylmer  were  preferred  to  those  of 
Bertram  of  Salisbury  and  Eversolt  of  St.  Albans.  Bath  Abbey  and 
St.  George's  Chapel,  Windsor,  were  considered  finer  things  in  their 
way  than  Lincoln  Cathedral  or  the  choir  of  Canterbury. 

It  was  while  public  taste  in  England  remained  under  such  delusions 
as  these  that  the  competition  for  the  New  Houses  of  Parliament  was 
announced.  Into  that  competition  ninety-seven  candidates  entered. 
The  total  number  of  drawings  prepared  was  fourteen  hundred.  The 
Committee  of  the  House  of  Lords  had  previously  decided  that  not 
more  than  five  designs,  and  not  less  than  three,  should  be  submitted  to 
the  King  for  approval.  The  author  of  the  first  in  order  of  merit  was 
to  receive  an  award  of  1,500/.,  and  unless  there  were  grave  reasons 
to  the  contrary,  was  to  be  appointed  architect  to  the  new  buildings. 
The  rest  were  to  be    recompensed    by  a  prize  of  500/.  each.     The 


Barry  s  Design  Selected.  171 

Commissioners  selected  four  designs  :  first,  that  of  Mr.  Charles  Barry  ; 
second,  that  of  Mr.  John  Chessel  Buckler  ;  third,  that  of  Mr.  David 
Hamilton  (of  Glasgow)  ;  and,  fourth,  that  of  Mr.  E.  Kempthorne. 
That  this  decision  was  followed  by  some  dissatisfaction  among  the  out- 
siders may  be,  as  a  matter  of  course,  assumed.  The  time  and  labour 
required  for  the  preparation  of  the  drawings  were  considerable,  and 
could  scarcely  have  been  spent  to  no  purpose  without  creating  a  strong 
disposition  to  chagrin  among  the  unsuccessful.  But,  on  the  whole, 
a  good  feeling  prevailed.  A  meeting  of  the  competitors  was  held  at 
the  c  Thatched  House  Tavern,'  and  a  resolution  was  passed  declaring 
that,  in  the  opinion  of  those  present,  the  competition  had  been 
1  alike  honourable  and  beneficial  to  the  architects  of  this  country,' 
and  expressing  a  belief  that  the  Commissioners  had  made  their 
selection  with  c  ability,  judgment,  and  impartiality.'  The  resolution 
concluded  by  recommending  a  public  exhibition  of  all  the  designs 
submitted. 

In  course  of  time  this  suggestion  was  carried  out,  and  was  attended 
by  a  very  good  result.  Hundreds  of  amateurs,  who  had  had  no 
patience  to  wade  through  antiquarian  discourses  on  the  origin  of  the 
Pointed  arch,  and  to  weigh  the  merits  of  Mediaeval  art,  saw  for  the  first 
time,  side  by  side,  the  designs  of  men  who  had  made  that  art,  with  more 
or  less  success,  their  study.  They  heard  them  compared,  criticised,  and 
in  turn  lauded  or  condemned.  And  the  criticism  of  that  day  was 
certainly  more  in  advance  of  professional  skill  than  is  the  criticism  of 
the  present  day.  We  have  indeed  more  accomplished  designers  now 
than  then,  but  public  opinion  on  such  subjects  is  neither  so  readily 
offered  nor  comparatively  so  valuable  as  it  once  was. 

To  those  who  had  thought  seriously  on  the  terms  of  the  competition, 
the  words  c  Gothic  or  Elizabethan '  seemed  somewhat  unsatisfactory. 
Britton,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Institute  of  British  Architects  (then 
just  established),  protested  against  them  as  undefined.  f  Elizabethan,' 
he  urged,  might   mean  anything   from   Tudor  to   Renaissance.      His 


172  The  Unsuccessful  Designs. 

objections,  as  it  turned  out,  were  not  without  foundation.  Some  of 
the  competitors  actually  submitted  Italian  designs.  The  majority  of 
them,  however,  complied  with  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  letter  of  their 
instructions,  and  prepared  designs  which  were  at  least  in  aim  either 
Gothic  or  Elizabethan. 

As  might  have  been  anticipated,  the  knowledge  of  either  style  dis- 
played was  in  many  cases  not  profound.  One  candidate  proposed  as  the 
central  feature  of  his  design  an  enormous  octagonal  dome,  apparently 
magnified  from  one  of  the  turrets  of  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel,  which  was 
to  be  supported  by  flying  buttresses  of  gigantic  size.  Another  described 
his  invention  as  '  an  example  of  the  pure  English  of  Edward  III.'s 
time.'  In  reality  it  was  an  exaggerated  medley  of  features,  almost  ex- 
clusively ecclesiastical  in  character,  and  borrowed  from  the  cathedrals  of 
England.  The  west  front  of  York  Minster  was  (after  decapitation)  in- 
troduced in  the  group.  Exeter,  Lincoln,  and  Canterbury,  were  laid 
under  contribution.  St.  Stephen's  Chapel  was  not  only  preserved,  but 
reproduced  in  duplicate  at  the  opposite  angle  of  Westminster  Hall,  in 
order  to  give  uniformity  to  the  composition. 

A  third  design  was  likened  at  the  time  to  a  union  workhouse,  and 
was  only  redeemed  from  the  charge  of  being  commonplace  by  bring- 
ing Westminster  Abbey  into  the  perspective  view,  and  raising  over  its 
crux  a  central  spire,  to  which  the  chief  objection  was  that  it  could  never 
have  been  erected.  A  fourth  was  described  as  a  sort  of  Brobdignag 
church,  with  a  transept  in  the  centre,  and  octagonal  towers  at  the 
extremities.  But  perhaps  the  most  original  idea  was  that  of  a  gentle- 
man who  had  devised  as  the  leading  feature  in  his  design  a  colossal 
circular  tower,  on  which  l  statues  of  monarchs  and  patriots,  flying 
buttresses,  pinnacles,  and  pierced  windows,  raise  up  in  regular  gradations 
a  vast  and  ornamental  object,  distinguishable  from  all  parts  of  the 
metropolis,  about  the  size  of  the  Castel  St.  Angelo  in  Rome.' 

Extravagances  of  this  kind  were,  it  is  needless  to  say,  avoided  by 
those  who  took  the  foremost  rank  in  the  award.     The  especial  merit 


St.  Stephen's  Chapel.  173 

of  Buckler's  design — second  only  to  that  of  Barry  in  the  opinion  of  the 
judges — was  that  it  avoided  the  multiplication  of  detail  and  of  those 
features  which  are  more  rightly  employed  in  ecclesiastical  than  in 
domestic  or  palatial  types  of  Gothic.  He  adopted  what  was  then 
familiarly  known  as  a  pyramidal  line  for  the  general  effect  of  his 
composition,  the  central  feature  of  which  was  a  lofty  tower  with 
angle  turrets.  In  this  design,  St.  Stephen's  Chapel,  restored,  formed 
a  conspicuous  object.  The  plan  in  general  arrangement  was  considered 
picturesque,  and,  so  far  as  the  relative  position  of  the  tvvo  Houses  was 
concerned,  convenient.  Mr.  Buckler  obtained  credit  for  the  purity  of 
his  ornamental  details,  which,  if  they  exhibited  no  striking  originality  of 
design,  were  at  least  well  selected.  Among  the  outsiders  whose  plans 
found  favour  may  be  mentioned  Rhind,  who  had  apparently  borrowed 
his  details  from  the  architecture  of  Hatfield  ;  and  Salvin,  whose  towers 
were  suggestive  of  Heriot's  Hospital.  Opinions  were  divided  as  to 
what  proportion  of  the  ancient  buildings  should  be  preserved.  Many 
of  the  competitors  desired  to  retain  St.  Stephen's  Chapel.  Cottingham 
exhibited  a  model  for  its  restoration.  Wyatt  and  Goodridge  were  for 
lengthening  it.  Some  considered  that  the  Painted  Chamber  might  still 
be  kept  intact ;  while  a  few  still  more  conservative  admirers  of  Mediaeval 
art  proposed  that  every  vestige  of  the  old  Palace  which  was  not  abso- 
lutely in  a  ruinous  state  should  be  repaired  and  incorporated  with  the 
new  structure. 

Barry,  as  a  practical  man,  took  a  middle  course.  He  had  found 
St.  Stephen's  Chapel  not  exactly  in  ruins,  but  in  such  a  condition  that 
its  preservation  was  impossible,  while  to  restore  it  with  anything  like 
accuracy  would  have  been  a  hazardous  undertaking.  Such,  at  least,  was 
the  opinion  of  Sir  R.  Smirke,  of  Wilkins,  of  Laing,  and  other  con- 
temporary architects  of  repute,  who  were  consulted  on  the  subject. 
From  this  opinion  Cottingham  and  Savage  differed.  But  those  gentle- 
men had  been  competitors,  and  no  doubt  felt  pledged  to  the  views 
which,  in  that  capacity,  they  had  maintained.     The  idea  of  restoring 


174  Westminster  Hall. 


the    chapel   was   abandoned,   but   the   crypt,  part  of  which  had  been 
degraded  to  the  uses  of  a  scullery,  was  preserved.* 

The  case  of  Westminster  Hall  was  different.  Any  scheme  which 
had  failed  to  provide  for  the  retention  of  this  venerable  structure — 
intimately  associated  as  it  is  with  many  an  incident  in  our  national  his- 
tory— would  have  been  at  once  rejected,  not  only  by  the  Govern- 
ment, but  by  public  opinion.  Even  the  common  rabble  of  the  town, 
when  they  assembled  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  to  watch  the  pro- 
gress of  the  fire  which  destroyed  the  old  buildings,  had  raised  a  cry  of 
genuine  dismay  when  for  a  short  while  the  roof  of  the  Hall  appeared 
in  danger.  To  save  it  from  the  flames  was  perhaps  an  easier  task  than 
to  settle  how  to  deal  with  it  afterwards.  Left  in  its  original  con- 
dition, it  would  have  been  an  interesting  relic  of  antiquity,  but  it  would 
have  been  useless  and  even  inconvenient  in  its  relation  to  the  plan  of 
the  new  buildings.  On  the  other  hand,  to  disturb  its  integrity  for 
the  sake  of  modern  improvements  and  mere  notions  of  convenience 
seemed  little  short  of  sacrilege.  It  was  reserved  for  Barry's  ingenuity 
to  devise  a  plan  which  satisfied — as  far  as  they  could  be  reasonably 
satisfied — these  opposite  considerations  of  utility  and  antiquarian 
conservatism. 

He  determined  to  make  Westminster  Hall  the  main  public  entrance 
to  the  New  Palace,  and  for  this  purpose  he  recommended  '  that  a  hand- 
some porch  with  a  flight  of  steps  should  be  added  to  the  south  end  of 
the  Hall,  from  which  the  approach  should  be  continued'  through 
St.  Stephen's  Hall  (proposed  to  be  erected  on  the  site  of  St.  Stephen's 
Chapel)  into  a  central  lobby  of  great  size,  and  lighted  by  an  octagonal 
lantern  midway  between  the  two  Houses,  and  in  immediate  connection 
with  the  public  lobbies  attached  to  each,  and  with  the  Committee  Rooms. 
The  practical  effect  of  this  arrangement  was  to  add  some  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  to  the  length  of  the  Hall.     It  has  been  argued  that  this  interfered 

*  The  restoration  of  this  interesting  relic  of  Mediaeval  art  was  subsequently  carried  out 
by  Mr.  E.  M.  Barry,  R.A.,  the  well-known  architect,  and  a  son  of  Sir  Charles. 


Ingenuity  of  Barry  s  Plan.  1 75 


with  the  proportions  of  the  interior  as  originally  designed,  and  it  may 
have  been  on  that  ground  that  Barry  at  one  time  proposed  to  raise  to  a 
greater  height  the  roof  itself.  This  suggestion  was,  however,  never 
carried  out,  and  indeed  the  present  aspect  of  the  Hall  is  .such  as  may 
well  satisfy  the  most  fastidious  critic,  when  it  is  remembered  with  what 
practical  difficulties  and  conflicting  opinions  the  scheme  for  its  alteration 
was  beset. 

The  site  itself  was  by  no  means  an  easy  one  to  deal  with,  and  many 
a  plea  might  have  been  raised  on  artistic  grounds  for  erecting  the  New 
Palace  in  a  more  elevated  and  commanding  site  in  the  metropolis. 
But  historical  associations  presented  an  overwhelming  argument  in 
favour  of  that  part  of  Westminster  which  was  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  great  Hall  and  the  Abbey,  and  it  was  an  argument 
which  happily  prevailed.  If  anything  could  reconcile  to  this  decision 
those  who  considered  mere  architectural  effect  of  paramount  import- 
ance, it  was  the  opportunity  given  for  a  noble  river  front  to  the  New 
Palace.  Barry  at  once  saw  the  necessity  of  securing  this  feature  in  his 
design.  He  recommended  that  the  building  should  be  kept  close  to 
the  Thames,  and  only  separated  from  it  by  a  terrace,  the  line  of  which 
was  to  be  as  nearly  as  possible  at  right  angles  to  Westminster  Bridge. 
Such  a.  facade,  it  was  true,  would  not  be  exactly  parallel  to  Westminster 
Hall,  and  this  must  affect  the  position  of  the  grand  corridor  which  led 
from  the  south  end  of  the  Hall  to  the  central  vestibule.  But  by 
making  the  latter  octagonal  in  plan,  and  by  altering  the  line  of  embank- 
ment, this  discrepancy  was  reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  in  execution 
is  scarcely  noticeable.*  The  result  was  an  elevation  which,  if  we 
accept  the  aim  of  its  design,  is  eminently  successful  in  effect.  Many  a 
critic,  in  pointing  out  the  faults  of  the  building  as  a  whole,  has  admitted 
the  excellence  of  its  river  front. 

*  A  reference  to  the  plan  of  the  new  Houses  of  Parliament,  published  in  the  inter- 
esting Life  of  Sir  Charles  Barry  by  his  son,  Dr.  Barry,  will  best  explain  the  ingenuity  of 
this  arrangement. 


176  Opposition  to  Barry  s  Scheme. 

Before  the  building  was  actually  begun,  Barry  had  to  encounter  two 
distinct  kinds  of  opposition  to  his  scheme.  There  were  those  who 
objected  on  various  grounds  to  the  employment  of  Gothic  altogether. 
There  were  those  who  objected  on  antiquarian  grounds  to  the  particular 
type  of  Gothic  which  he  selected,  and  to  his  mode  of  dealing  with  the 
old  buildings.  The  best  answer  which  could  be  given  to  the  latter  class 
of  opponents  was  simply  this,  that  whatever  defects  might  be  perceived, 
whether  in  the  nature  of  his  scheme  or  the  quality  of  his  art,  no  one, 
in  an  open  competition,  had  on  the  whole  surpassed  him.  It  was  easy 
to  talk  of  restoring  St.  Stephen's  Chapel  and  the  Painted  Chamber,  of 
leaving  Westminster  Hall  absolutely  intact  and  of  preserving  every  relic 
of  the  ancient  palace.  The  question  really  came  to  be  how  far  these 
proposals  were  compatible  with  the  main  object  in  view,  viz.  the  design 
of  the  New  Houses  of  Parliament,  in  which  convenience  of  plan  was 
a  first  necessity.  That  there  might  have  been  found  among  the  com- 
petitors men  whose  knowledge  of  Gothic  detail  was  more  advanced 
than  his  own  is  probable.  But  no  one  had  so  successfully  united  that 
knowledge  with  the  practical  requirements  of  the  case. 

The  arguments  which  were  brought  to  bear  against  the  adoption  of 
Gothic  altogether  as  the  style  of  the  new  buildings  seemed  plausible  to 
the  ignorant  or  prejudiced,  but  were  to  a  great  extent  founded  in  error, 
and  were  certainly  ill-timed.     Protests  of  such  a  kind  should  have  been 

made not  after  the  result  of  the  competition,  but  when  its  conditions 

were  first  announced.  That  which  attracted  most  notice  at  the  time 
was  embodied  in  letters  addressed  by  Mr.  W.  R.  Hamilton  to  the 
Earl  of  Elgin  in  1836-37.  Hamilton  was  a  scholar  and  a  dilettante, 
but  his  literary  tastes  and  his  antiquarian  researches  had  been  turned  in 
one  direction  only.  He  saw  in  classic  art  an  expression  of  intellectual 
refinement  and  of  ideal  beauty,  compared  with  which  the  science  and 
the  exuberant  fancy  of  the  Mediaeval  architect  and  sculptor  were  as 
things  of  nought.  He  regarded  the  temples  of  Greece  and  Rome 
as    the    noblest    achievements    of   human    invention.       He  associated 


Mr.  Hamilton's  Letters.  177 


the  monuments  of  the  Middle  Ages  with  ideas  of  gloom,  of  supersti- 
tion and  barbarous  extravagance.     Whole  volumes  might  be  written 
to  prove  that  he  was  right  and  to  prove  that  he  was  wrong.      To  the 
end  of  time  men  will  probably  be  divided  in  opinion  as  to  whether  the 
Parthenon  or  Chartres  Cathedral  represents   the    more  exalted    phase 
of  architectural  taste,  or  gratifies  the  purer  sense  of  mental  pleasure. 
The  real  question  at  issue  was  whether  Gothic  should  or  should  not  be 
adopted  for  the  New  Houses  of  Parliament.       Hamilton  brought  the 
whole  force  of  his  scholarship  and  literary  ability  to  prove  that   the 
adoption  of  Gothic  would  be  a  mistake.      His  letters  developed   into 
essays,  which  would  have  been  more  interesting  if  they  had  been  less 
prolix  in  matter   and  less  diffuse   in   style.     He    quoted    Pindar,    he 
quoted  Cicero,  he  quoted  Aristotle,  he   quoted   Plutarch,  he   quoted 
Plato.     He  quoted  Bacon,  Hume,  Winckelman,  Hallam,  Coleridge, 
Fresnoy,    and   Sir  James  Mackintosh.     That  the  sentiments  of  each 
and  all  of  these  eminent  authors,  in  their  several  ways,  and  at  different 
periods  of  the  world's    history,  have    been    a    source  of  pleasure    or 
instruction  to  mankind  no  one  will  deny,  but  that  their  opinions  could 
have  much  influence  in  determining  the  style  of  the  New  Palace  of 
Westminster  may  be  doubted. 

Mr.  Hamilton's  arguments,  like  those  of  many  an  able  pleader, 
occasionally  proved  too  much.      Thus,  in  his  first  letter  he  says : 

It  is  notorious  to  all  who  have  attended  to  the  history  of  Architecture,  that 
every  age  and  every  country  have  progressively  formed  to  themselves  each  its 
own  peculiar  style  and  character,  and,  excluding  from  the  question  those  cases 
where  there  may  have  been  a  self-evident  decline  from  good  to  bad,  from  the 
beautiful  to  the  deformed,  from  simplicity  to  meretricious  ornament,  from  culti- 
vated to  barbarous  periods,  it  seems  right  that  each  age  and  each  country  ought 
to  hold  fast  to  that  style  which,  whether  foreign  or  indigenous,  circumstances 
and  improved  knowledge  have  introduced  into  general  practice. 

It  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  force  of  this  reasoning  can  be   admitted 
without  coming  to  a  conclusion  that  Italian  architecture  ought  never 

N 


i  y8  Mr.  Ha  mi  It  oiis  Arguments. 


to  have  been  introduced  into  this  country  at  all  ;  that  Englishmen 
ought  to  have  held  fast  to  their  Tudor,  which,  in  the  fifteenth  century, 
was  a  thoroughly  national  style,  and  certainly  superior  to  that  by 
which  it  was  at  first  replaced. 

Mr.  Hamilton  pointed  out  with  truth  that,  at  the  time  he  wrote,  the 
larger  portion  of  public  buildings  erected  in  Great  Britain  during  the 
past  half  century  had  been  of  a  classic  character ;  but  when  he  went  on 
to  say  that  this  was  due  to  '  the  good  sense  of  the  British  public,' 
which  '  could  not  be  borne  down  by  the  fancies  of  individuals,'  he 
must  have  been  laughing  in  his  sleeve.  It  would  be  curious  to  specu- 
late to  what  depth  of  absurdity  and  degradation  the  condition  of 
national  art  might  in  course  of  time  descend  in  this  country  but  for 
the  influence  of  private  taste  and  individual  genius.  A  fair  evidence 
of  the  architectural  effects  which  have  been  secured  by  the  good  sense 
of  the  British  public,  when  completely  unfettered,  may  be  noticed  in 
Gower  Street  and  in  Russell  Square. 

It  seems  to  have  been  assumed  by  Mr.  Hamilton  and  other  anti- 
Gothic  critics  of  his  day,  that  because  pictorial  art  had  made  but  little 
advance  in  England  during  the  Middle  Ages,  the  efforts  of  modern 
painters  would  have  been  incompatible  with  the  conditions  of  Mediaeval 
Architecture.  If  this  were  really  so,  the  best  hope  to  express  would 
have  been,  not  for  the  extinction  of  Gothic,  but  for  the  rise  of  better 
painters.  The  Padua  Chapel  sufficed  for  Giotto ;  the  Orvieto  Ca- 
thedral for  Luca  Signorelli ;  the  Gothic  palaces  at  Siena  and  Venice  for 
Spinello  and  Tintoret.  It  might  well  have  been  urged  that  if  the 
artists  who  were  to  be  employed  on  the  decoration  of  the  Houses  of 
Parliament  approached  the  old  Italian  masters  in  excellence  there  would 
be  no  great  reason  for  complaint. 

The  arguments  which  Mr.  Hamilton  endeavoured  to  base  upon 
a  quasi-religious  ground,  were  such  as  could  scarcely  impose  upon  the 
most  bigoted  Puritan  of  his  time.  It  is  of  course  open  to  any  writer 
to  comment  on  the  licentious  vagaries  and  irreverent  shapes  of 
Mediaeval  sculpture,  but  when  he  proceeds  to  remark  that  our  ancient 


Anti-MedicBval  Prejudices.  179 

churches  and  cathedrals  were  built  to  give  the  mass  of  the  people  a  false 
impression  of  religious  awe,  and  to  instil  a  respect  and  terror  for  those 
who  presided  in  them,  he  ought  to  remember  that  both  charges  cannot 
be  well  maintained  side  by  side.  It  is  impossible  to  inspire  respect  by- 
licentiousness,  or  religious  awe  by  irreverence.  No  one  can  be  openly 
profane  and  pretend  to  piety  at  one  and  the  same  time.  The  truth  is 
that  these  Mediaeval  folks  were  neither  quite  so  bad  nor  quite  so  good 
as  modern  critics  by  turn  would  have  us  believe.  The  ecclesiastic  of 
the  Dark  Ages  has  been  frequently  portrayed  as  an  ill-favoured  fanatic, 
with  a  countenance  in  which  evil  passions  are  scarcely  masked  by 
hypocrisy,  and  with  a  pocketful  of  indulgences,  which  he  is  ready  to 
grant  for  the  commission  of  any  crime  that  is  well  paid  for.  Or  he  is 
described  as  an  angel  in  sackcloth — a  model  of  wisdom,  of  self-denial, 
of  benevolence,  and  of  purity.  The  knight-errant  of  romance  is  either 
a  lawless  marauder,  eager  for  spoil  and  reckless  of  every  principle  of 
morality  ;  or  he  is  a  gallant  gentleman,  who  derives  his  sole  means  of 
livelihood  from  the  pleasant,  but  scarcely  profitable,  occupation  of 
rescuing  damsels  in  distress. 

Fallacies  of  a  like  kind  are  promulgated  by  those  who  have  en- 
deavoured to  prove  on  the  one  hand  that  art  in  the  Middle  Ages  was 
wilfully  turned  to  superstitious  and  even  vicious  purposes,  and  on  the 
other  that  every  missal  painter  and  sculptor  of  saintly  effigies  was 
himself  a  saint. 

The  bigotry  of  the  first  presumption  is  only  equalled  by  the  folly  of 
the  second.  It  would  be  manifestly  unfair  to  measure  by  a  modern 
standard  of  refinement  the  rude  expression  of  humour,  or  the  coarse 
symbolisms  of  vice  and  its  punishments,  which  found  embodiment  in 
Mediaeval  Art.  Every  one  knows  that  many  a  joke  which  passed 
current  in  polite  society  three  centuries  ago,  would  scarcely  bear 
repetition  among  modern  schoolboys  ;  yet  it  by  no  means  follows  that 
the  dames  and  cavaliers  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  Court  were  less  virtuous 
than  our  modern  world  of  fashion. 


N   2 


180  Pseudo-Moral  Objections. 

On  the  other  hand,  to  presume  that  what  may  be  called  the  religious 
aspect  of  ancient  art  resulted  from  the  specially  religious  life  of  those 
who  practised  it,  is  a  piece  of  sentimentalism  which  is  founded  neither 
in  philosophy  nor  in  fact.  If  experience  teaches  us  anything  on  such 
a  point,  it  teaches  us  that  constant  familiarity  with  the  material 
adjuncts  of  an  outward  form  of  faith  is  likely  to  beget,  not  an  increase, 
but  rather  a  diminution  of  reverence  for  such  objects.  It  is  probable 
that,  except  in  a  few  rare  instances,  the  monks  who  sat  down  to 
illuminate  a  breviary,  and  the  sculptors  who  were  engaged  in  the 
carving  of  a  reredos,  regarded  their  work  with  the  interest  of  skilful 
craftsmen  rather  than  with  the  enthusiasm  of  earnest  devotees.  In 
modern  days  we  have  unconsciously  drawn  a  distinction  between  re- 
ligious art  and  popular  art.  In  the  Middle  Ages  they  were  thoroughly 
blended,  so  that  while  the  incidents  of  sacred  history  frequently  found 
illustration  in  the  decorative  features  of  domestic  architecture,  the 
details  of  carved  work  in  many  a  church  and  cathedral  exhibit  a  mere 
expression  of  humour,  and  humour  of  not  always  the  most  elevated  kind. 

A  considerable  portion  of  Mr.  Hamilton's  letters  is  occupied  by  the 
utterance  of  sentiments  in  the  truth  of  which  the  world  has  been  long 
agreed.  That  Greek  Architecture  is  grand  and  simple  in  its  general 
character  ;  that  the  invention  of  printing  opened  the  mind  of  man ; 
that  we  have  not  yet  succeeded  in  rivalling  the  sculpture  of  Phidias ; 
that  genius  may  be  occasionally  led  astray  by  public  taste ;  and  that  the 
principles  of  good  art,  when  more  understood,  will  present  a  more 
enlightened  standard,  are  as  true  as  that  Shakespeare  was  a  great  poet, 
or  that  gunpowder  was  unknown  to  the  ancient  Britons.  But  the 
assertion  of  such  abstract  propositions,  even  expressed  as  they  were  in 
unexceptionable  English,  and  amplified  by  endless  illustrations  from  the 
classics,  did  not  throw  much  new  light  on  the  question  as  to  what  style 
of  design  was  best  suited  for  the  Houses  of  Parliament.  Stripped  of 
rhetoric,  of  dissertations  on  the  age  of  Pericles,  and  prejudiced  de- 
nunciations of  Medievalism,  Mr.  Hamilton's  arguments  merely  went  to 


Colonel  Jackson's  Reply.  181 


prove  this  :  that  he  had  an  artistic  taste  of  his  own,  and  that  the  Govern- 
ment as  well  as  the  nation  were  bound  to  follow  it.  On  the  score  of 
convenience  he  adduced  scarcely  a  single  reason  for  the  rejection  of 
Gothic  which  might  not  have  been  applied  with  equal  force  to  the 
rejection  of  Greek  architecture,  presuming  that  the  latter  had  been 
adopted  in  all  the  primitive  severity  of  its  present  type.*  The  fact  is 
that  neither  style  could  be  adopted  without  considerable  departure  from 
ancient  precedent,  and,  if  both  must  undergo  the  modification  necessary 
for  modern  requirements,  it  was  surely  more  reasonable  to  modify  and 
accept  a  style,  once  at  least  eminently  national  in  its  characteristics,  than 
to  revert  to  one  which  belonged  neither  to  the  age  nor  to  the  country 
for  which  it  was  proposed. 

It  was  one  of  Hamilton's  arguments  that  the  revival  of  Gothic  for 
the  New  Houses  of  Parliament  would  confound  time  and  usages.  On 
this  point  Colonel  Jackson,  who  published  a  pamphlet  in  reply,  very 
sensibly  expressed  himself: 

I  think  time  is  less  confounded  by  constructing  an  edifice  in  a  style  of  nearly 
similar  date  with  the  institution  of  the  assembly  for  whose  purpose  it  is  intended, 
than  by  building  it  in  any  other  style.  At  all  events,  it  must  be  allowed  that, 
adapting  to  a  British  House  of  Parliament,  under  the  Christian  reign  of  William 
IV.,  the  style  of  architecture  adopted  in  heathen  Greece  in  the  time  of  Pericles, 
some  twenty-three  centuries  before,  is  a  much  greater  confounding  of  time 
than  any  which  can  result  from  the  employment  of  Gothic.  As  to  usages 
that  will  be  confounded  by  a  Gothic  House  of  Parliament,  I  am  not  aware  that 
any  precise  usage  has  ever  obtained  in  these  matters  :  they  have  generally  de- 
pended upon  the  fashion  of  the  times  or  the  taste  of  the  reigning  prince.  If, 
however,  anything  like  constancy  has  ever  prevailed  in  this  country,  it  has 
unquestionably  been  in  favour  of  Gothic  Architecture. 

It  would  be  fruitless  to  review  the  countless  arguments  which  were  put 
forward,  on  both  sides  of  this  much-vexed  question,  in  pamphlets,  maga- 

*  That  this  was  what  Mr.  Hamilton  really  desired  is  apparent  from  his  second  letter. 
The  adoption  of  Italian  Architecture  was  a  compromise  which  he  might  have  tolerated, 
but  would  never  have  approved. 


1 82  Commencement  of  the  Work. 


zine  articles,  and  letters  to  the  public  press,  before  the  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment were  actually  begun.  Those  arguments  have  been  since  renewed 
from  time  to  time,  under  different  circumstances,  and  in  a  variety  of  forms, 
with  more  or  less  enthusiasm.  For  upwards  of  a  quarter  of  century, 
the  Battle  of  the  Styles  was  carried  on,  and,  if  it  has  ceased  at  the  present 
day  to  rage  with  its  old  violence,  it  is  probably  because  the  weapons 
used  in  that  prolonged  warfare  have  become  blunted  and  worn  out. 
Everything  that  could  be  said  in  favour  or  disparagement  of  Gothic 
has  been  said.  Mutual  concessions  have  since  been  made  ;  old  pre- 
judices have  disappeared;  misunderstandings  have  been  cleared  up; 
but  the  event  which  first  raised  the  controversy  into  national  importance 
was  undoubtedly  the  decision  that  Gothic  should  be  adopted  for  the 
Palace  of  Westminster. 

The  first  stone  of  the  new  building  (after  the  river-wall  and  founda- 
tion had  been  completed)  was  laid,  without  ceremony,  on  April  27, 
1840.*  The  practical  and  constructive  difficulties  which  Barry  had  to 
encounter  at  the  outset  of  his  work  were  great,  but  they  sank  into  in- 
significance compared  with  the  annoyances  to  which,  in  his  professional 
capacity,  he  was  subjected  from  a  variety  of  causes — some  no  doubt  in- 
separable from  the  external  management  of  so  great  an  undertaking, 
but  others  that  might  well  have  been  avoided.  These,  however,  were 
in  time  met,  and  in  a  great  measure  dispelled,  by  the  tact  and  ability 
which  formed  part  of  Barry's  character,  and  which  contributed  so 
largely  to  his  success. 

From  the  original  design  as  submitted  in  competition,  several  im- 
portant alterations  were  made.  The  Victoria  Tower  was  reduced  in 
the  dimensions  of  its  plan,  but  carried  to  a  far  greater  height  than  had 
at  first  been  intended.  The  roof  of  the  House  of  Lords  was  raised. 
The  Central   Hall — in  consequence   of  the   conditions   proposed    by 

*  Such  is  the  date  given  in  the  '  Life  of  Sir  Charles  Barry.'  But  according  to  the  '  Civil 
Engineers'  and  Architects'  Journal'  the  first  stone  was  laid  on  March  5,  1839.  Possibly 
this  was  for  some  portion  of  the  substructure. 


Character  of  Barry  s  Design.  183 


Dr.  Reid,  for  a  scheme  of  ventilation  (afterwards  abandoned) — was 
lowered.  The  House  of  Commons  was  again  and  again  remodelled  in 
the  endeavour  to  effect  a  compromise  between  requirements  based  in 
turn  upon  considerations  of  convenience,  acoustic  principles,  and 
architectural  effect.  The  extraordinary  increase  which,  during  the  pro- 
gress of  the  building,  occurred  in  the  business  of  Parliamentary  Com- 
mittees, necessitated  considerable  modifications.  All  these  facts  ought 
to  be  remembered  in  estimating  the  effect  of  a  design  whose  execution 
extended  over  a  far  longer  period  of  time  than  was  originally  contem- 
plated, and  must  have  been  subject  to  a  number  of  internal  influences, 
of  which  the  public  take  small  account,  but  which  no  architect  would 
find  it  possible  to  disregard. 

Much  of  the  artistic  criticism  which  was  passed  on  Barry's  design  at 
first,  and  during  the  progress  of  the  building,  was  undoubtedly  just. 

The  strong  tendency  to  long  unbroken  horizontal  lines  in  com- 
position, was  the  natural  fault  of  an  architect  the  bent  of  whose  taste 
was  confessedly  in  favour  of  the  Italian  School.  c  Tudor  details  on  a 
classic  body  ! '  Pugin  is  said  to  have  exclaimed  to  a  friend  as  they 
passed  down  the  river  in  a  steamboat.  And  unfortunately  the  Tudor 
details  were  needlessly  multiplied.  There  are  general  principles  of 
taste  which  may  be  safely  accepted  independently  of  the  question  of 
style,  and  among  these  is  that  one  which  requires  for  elaborate  ornament 
a  proportionate  area  of  blank  wall-space.  Barry  utterly  ignored,  and 
possibly  disputed,  this  principle.  As  the  eye  wanders  over  every  com- 
partment of  every  front  in  this  building,  it  seeks  in  vain  for  a  quiet  rest- 
ing-place. Panels  moulded  and  cusped — carved  work  in  high  and  low 
relief — niches  statued  and  canopied — pinnacles  bossed  and  crocketed — ■ 
spandrelled  window-heads — battlemented  parapets — fretted  turrets,  and 
enriched  string-courses — succeed  each  other  with  the  endless  iteration  of 
a  recurring  decimal.  It  is  hardly  too  much  to  say  that,  if  half  the 
decorative  features  of  this  building  had  been  omitted,  its  general 
effect  would  have  been  enhanced  in  a  twofold  degree.     One  of  the 


r84  Effect  on  the  Revival. 


peculiar  failings  exhibited  by  Gothic  architects  of  the  day  seems  to 
have  been  the  incapacity  to  regulate  the  character  of  design  by 
the  scale  on  which  it  was  to  be  applied.  The  extraordinary  size 
of  the  Victoria  Tower  required  in  its  general  outline  and  surface 
decoration  a  very  different  treatment  from  that  of  the  building  which 
lay  at  its  base.  In  this  case,  Barry  contented  himself  with  magnifying 
small  features  into  large  ones.  The  result  has  proved  to  be  that  while 
the  tower  individually  loses  in  apparent  grandeur  by  reason  of  its 
elaborated  detail,  when  seen  in  connection  with  the  main  body  of  the 
building,  it  has  the  unfortunate  effect  of  dwarfing  the  proportions  of 
the  latter  by  reason  of  its  own  overwhelming  bulk. 

In  spite  of  these  and  other  defects   which  critics  have  not  failed  to 
point   out   (without   considering  the  long   lapse  of  time   that  ensued 
between  the  first  conception  of  Barry's  design  and   the   completion   of 
his  work),  it  must  be  admitted  that,  taken  as  a  whole,  the   Palace  of 
Westminster  was  eminently  creditable  to  its  author,  and  probably  equal, 
if  not  superior,  to  any  structure  which  might  have  been  devised  and 
carried  out  in  the  same  style  and  under  similar  conditions  by  the  most 
skilful  of  his  competitors.     Thirty  years  have  made  a  vast  difference 
in   the    professional  study  of  Mediaeval  Architecture,  and   in    public 
appreciation  of  its  merits.     Qualities  of  design  which  were  once   con- 
sidered essential  to  artistic  grace  are  now  ignored  and  even  condemned, 
while  the  so-called  faults  which  the  last  generation  of  architects  strove 
to  avoid  have  risen  to  the  level  of  confessed  excellence. 

It  is  easy  to  say  that  if  these  Houses  of  Parliament  had  been  begun 
in  1865  instead  of  1835,  a  nobler  type  of  Gothic  would  have  been 
adopted  in  the  design.  Who  knows  how  far  the  taste  for  Mediaeval 
Art  might  have  been  developed  at  all  but  for  this  timely  patronage  of 
the  State  ?  Is  it  not  rather  true  that  the  decision  of  the  Government 
as  to  the  style  of  the  new  buildings  gave  an  impulse  to  the  Revival 
which  could  have  been  created  in  no  other  way — an  impulse  that  has 
kept    this    country    advanced    before    others   in    the    earnestness   with 


Influence  on  Art  Manufacture.  185 

which  ancient  types  of  national  Architecture  are  studied  and  imitated  by- 
professional  men  ?  * 

In  the  department  of  Art  Manufacture  it  would  be  impossible  to 
overrate  the  influence  brought  to  bear  upon  decorative  sculpture, 
upon  ceramic  decoration,  ornamental  metal-work,  and  glass  staining,  by 
the  encouragement  given  to  those  arts  during  the  progress  of  the 
works  at  Westminster.  In  the  design  of  such  details  Pugin's  aid  was, 
at  the  time,  invaluable.  It  was  frankly  sought  and  freely  rendered. 
Hardman's  painted  windows  and  brass  fittings,  Minton's  encaustic  tiles, 
and  Crace's  mural  decoration,  bear  evidence  of  his  skill  and  industry. f 
They  may  be  rivalled  and  surpassed  in  design  and  execution  at  the 
present  day  ;  but  to  Pugin,  and  to  the  architect  who  had  the  good 
sense  to  secure  his  services,  we  shall  ever  be  indebted  for  the  rapid 
advance  made  in  these  several  departments  of  Art  during  the  first  half 
of  the  present  century. 

Nor  must  we  overlook  the  important  step  gained  in  connection  with 
this  work  by  the  appointment  of  a  Fine  Arts  Commission  in  1841. 
To  assert  that  the  statues  and  paintings  which  now  decorate  the  Houses 
of  Parliament  are  all  that  could  be  desired  in  point  of  style  or  ex- 
ecution, would  be  very  far  from  the  truth.  But  before  they  were 
undertaken,  no  public  encouragement  worth  mentioning  had  for  some 
time  past  been  given  either  to  painters  or  sculptors.  They  were  now 
associated  in  the  completion  of  a  grand  national  work.  The  Pictorial 
Art  Competition,  and  display  of  prize  cartoons  in  Westminster  Hall, 
had  the  effect  of  bringing  under  public  notice  the  talents  of  many  an 
artist  who  might  otherwise  have  long  remained  in  obscurity.  The 
technical  details  of  fresco  painting,  which  for  centuries  had  been  for- 

*  In  the  literature  of  the  Gothic  Revival  we  are,  however,  far  behind  the  French.  No 
work  has  been  produced  in  England  which  can  compare,  in  amount  of  research  and  use- 
fulness, with  M.  Viollet  le  Due's  admirable  '  Dictionnaire  Raisonnee.' 

t  For  the  execution  of  the  decorative  sculpture,  Mr.  Thomas  (acting  of  course  under 
the  direction  of  Sir  Charles  Barry)  was  alone  responsible,  and  probably  at  the  time  no  one 
was  better  qualified  to  undertake  it. 


1 86  The  Modern  Gothic  School. 

gotten  in  this  country,  received  scientific  attention ;  and  if  the  issue  has 
not  been  altogether  satisfactory,  it  is  from  no  want  of  pains  or  extent  of 
research. 

If  it  be  argued  that  these  results  could  have  been  equally  attained  by 
the  adoption  of  any  other  style  of  architecture  for  the  Houses  of 
Parliament,  the  answer  is  that  no  other  style  would  have  served  so  well 
to  preserve — at  least  in  aim — the  unities  of  a  School  of  Art.  Before  the 
commencement  of  this  work,  many  public  buildings  were  erected  in  the 
pseudo-Greek  and  revived  Italian  fashion  of  the  day,  but  the  accessories 
with  which  they  were  invested  had  by  long  sufferance  been  allowed  to 
remain  deficient  in  the  character  and  consonance  of  design. 

The  Classic  Renaissance,  even  in  its  palmy  days,  had  failed  to 
inspire  that  sort  of  uniformity  which  should  mark  the  return  to  a 
former  style  of  art.  Fashionable  portrait-painters  who  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  had  depicted  their  royal  patron  as  a  Roman  warrior  in 
a  full-bottomed  wig,  were  not  more  inconsistent  than  many  a  con- 
temporary architect,  who  suffered  the  most  incongruous  modernisms  to 
intrude  in  the  interior  and  fittings  of  a  palace  which  was  professedly 
classic  in  taste. 

In  the  Houses  of  Parliament  it  was  Barry's  endeavour  to  maintain, 
down  to  the  minutest  article  of  furniture,  the  proprieties  of  that  style 
which  the  voice  of  the  nation  had  selected  for  his  design.  How  carefully 
and  thoroughly  he  did  this,  the  work  itself  testifies  in  every  detail.  It 
may  not  belong  to  the  highest  class  of  art.  But,  of  its  kind,  it  is 
genuine,  well  studied,  and  complete. 


Revival  of  C Jut ych  Architecture.  187 


CHJPTER  XL 

HILE  the  adoption  of  Mediaeval  design  for  civic,  and  thus 
indirectly  for   domestic,  buildings  was   encouraged    by  the 
decision  of  Government  that  the  New  Houses  of  Parliament 
should  be  Gothic,  the  revival  of  ancient  Church  Architecture  received  a 
fresh  and  no  less  powerful  impetus  from  the  rapidly  increasing  taste  for 
ecclesiology,  which  had  by  this  time  begun  to  develop  itself  in  Eng- 
land.    The  origin  of  this  taste  may  be  traced  to  two  causes.     First  to 
the  necessity  of  providing  additional  churches  of  some  kind — a  necessity 
which  had  been  already  recognised  by  the  State — and,  secondly,  to  that 
remarkable  change  which  was  gradually  taking  place  in  the  religious 
convictions  of  English  Churchmen,  and  which  resulted  in  a  movement 
known  under  various  names   at  different  periods  of  its  progress,  but 
really  representing  a  tendency  to  invest  the  Church  with  higher  spiritual 
functions,  and  to  secure  for  it  a  more  symbolical  and  imposing  form  of 
worship  than  had  for  many  generations  past  been  claimed  or  maintained. 
So  early  as  1818  an  Act  of  Parliament  had  been  passed  for  building 
and  promoting  the  building  of  additional  churches,  and  a  Royal  Com- 
mission had  been  appointed  for  carrying  the  Act  into  execution.     The 
Reports  issued  by  this  Commission  during  some  twenty  or  thirty  years 
after  their  appointment  afford  curious  statistics  as  to  the  gradual  change 
in  architectural  taste.     In  the  tabulated  statement  of  the  first  Report 
(1821),  it  was  not  even  considered  necessary  to  name  the  style  of  the 
new  churches  in  course  of  erection.     In  later  Reports  this  deficiency  is 
supplied,  and  c  Gothic  with  Tower  and  Spire '  is  found  alternately  with 
1  Roman  of  the  Tuscan  Order,'  or  <  Grecian  Doric  with  Cupola.'     The 


1 88  The  '  Incorporated  Society! 


western  and  northern  counties  seem  to  have  been  the  first  to  return  to 
the  ancient  type,  but  in  London  and  the  east  of  England  the  classic 
element  still  predominated.  For  some  years  York  and  Lancashire  dis- 
tanced other  provinces  in  the  number  of  their  new  churches,  and  for 
their  steady  adhesion  to  a  style  of  design  which  can  only  be  called 
f  Mediaeval '  because  it  can  be  called  nothing  else.  With  a  few 
notable  exceptions,  some  of  which  have  been  mentioned,  these  build- 
ings were  erected  at  small  expense,  and  therefore  were  not  designed 
with  any  aim  at  architectural  effect.  The  walls  were  as  slight  as  struc- 
tural safety  would  permit.  The  roofs  were  of  low  pitch  and  ceiled 
internally.  The  porches  were  small  and  meagre.  As  for  the  chancel 
— a  feature  now  considered  almost  indispensable  to  every  village  church 
— it  was  either  omitted  altogether  or  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a 
shallow  recess,  just  large  enough  to  contain  the  communion  table.  The 
great  object  was  to  secure  as  many  sittings  as  possible,  consistently 
with  the  maintenance  of  that  thoroughly  modern  institution,  the  family 
pew.  And  here  religious  zeal  clashed  with  notions  of  personal  comfort. 
For  the  high- backed,  luxuriously  cushioned  and  carpeted  pew  occupied 
of  necessity  a  great  deal  of  room,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  to  sit  on 
uncovered  wooden  benches  as  congregations  do  now  in  half  the  modern 
churches  of  London — to  make,  in  short,  no  distinction  between  the  rich 
and  poor  assembled  in  common  worship — would  have  been  considered 
something  altogether  incompatible  with  the  requirements  of  a  genteel 
congregation.  In  this  dilemma  it  was  obvious  that  the  only  expedient 
by  which  a  certain  number  of  sittings  could  be  obtained  without 
doubling  the  size  and  cost  of  the  church  was  the  erection  of  galleries, 
and  these  were  freely  adopted,  without  the  slightest  reference  either  to 
ancient  precedent  or  to  architectural  effect. 

The  suggestions  published  about  this  time  of  the  Incorporated 
Society  for  Promoting  the  Enlargement,  Building,  and  Repairing  of 
Churches  and  Chapels,  plainly  indicate  the  spirit  in  which  such  works 
were  then  undertaken.      Durability  and  convenience  were  the  qualities 


Commissioners    Churches!  189 


mainly  insisted  on.  The  site  was  to  be  central,  dry,  and  sufficiently 
distant  from  factories  and  noisy  thoroughfares ;  a  paved  open  area  was 
to  be  made  round  the  church.  If  vaulted  underneath,  the  crypt  was  to 
be  made  available  for  the  reception  of  coals  or  the  parish  fire-engine. 
Every  care  was  to  be  taken  to  render  chimneys  safe  from  fire,  but  side 
by  side  with  this  excellent  counsel  was  a  suggestion  that  they  might  be 
concealed  in  'pinnacles  I  The  windows,  it  was  naively  remarked,  c  ought 
not  to  resemble  modern  sashes ;  but  whether  Grecian  or  Gothic  the 
glass  should  be  in  small  panes  and  not  costly.'  The  most  favourable 
position  for  the  c  minister  '  was  stated  to  be  f  near  an  end  wall,  or  in  a 
semicircular  recess  under  a  half- dome.'  It  was  indeed  stipulated  that 
the  pulpit  should  not  intercept  a  view  of  the  altar,  but  the  sine  qua  non 
was  that  all  the  seats  should  be  placed  so  as  to  face  the  preacher. 
Pillars  of  cast  iron  were  recommended  for  supporting  the  gallery  of 
a  chapel,  though  it  was  hinted  that  c  in  large  churches  they  might  want 
grandeur.'  Ornament  was  to  be  c  neat  and  simple,'  yet  f  venerable '  in 
character.  The  Society  even  went  so  far  as  to  recommend  Gothic  ; 
but  in  order  to  satisfy  another  class  of  taste,  it  was  added  that  c  the 
Grecian  Doric  is  also  eligible.' 

Such  were  the  structures  which,  under  the  half  contemptuous  name 
of  c  Commissioners'  Churches,'  began  to  spring  up  in  various  districts 
throughout  England  in  the  second  and  third  decades  of  the  present 
century.  Within  a  dozen  years  after  the  Act  had  been  passed,  one 
hundred  and  thirty-four  had  been  completed,  and  fifty  more  were  in 
course  of  erection.  In  Birmingham,  Liverpool,  Manchester,  and  Leeds, 
in  Stockport,  Sheffield,  Leicester,  Bolton,  and  Huddersfield,  besides  a 
host  of  smaller  towns,  may  still  be  found  examples — and,  in  some  cases, 
many  examples — of  this  phase  of  the  Revival.  They  possess,  as  a  rule, 
little  or  no  merit  in  the  way  of  architectural  design,  having  been  chiefly 
built  for  the  sole  purpose  of  providing  as  speedily  and  as  cheaply  as 
possible  church  accommodation  for  manufacturing  districts,  which  of 
late  years  were  rapidly   increasing   in  population.      Had  the  church 


i  go  '  Evangelical '  Scruples. 


building  movement  been  confined  to  this  object  and  to  such  districts, 
spiritual  instruction  of  a  certain  kind  might  indeed  have  been  secured 
where  it  was  obviously  necessary,  but  much  of  the  zeal  and  interest 
which  has  since  been  awakened  among  laymen  would  have  been  lost, 
while  Architecture  as  an  art  would  have  suffered  to  an  incalculable 
extent. 

Concurrently,  however,  with  this  public  and  praiseworthy  endeavour 
to  build  what  may  at  least  be  called  houses  of  prayer,  a  strong  desire 
began  to  manifest  itself  in  this  country  for  a  return  not  only  to  the 
ancient  type  of  national  church,  but  to  a  more  decent  and  attractive 
form  of  service.  The  tendency  of  religious  thought  in  England,  after 
combatting  the  scepticism  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  rallying  from 
the  indolence  of  the  Hanoverian  period,  had  drifted  almost  unconsciously 
into  that  condition  of  doctrine  which  is  commonly  named,  or  as  some 
think  misnamed,  '  Evangelical.' 

That  in  their  time  and  in  their  own  way  the  followers  of  this  school 
did  excellent  work  in  the  Church  has  since  been  admitted  by  all  who 
are  not  prejudiced  to  the  extent  of  bigotry.  But  whatever  may  have 
been  their  claim  to  Evangelical  functions  in  a  spiritual  sense,  they 
certainly  brought  no  good  message  to  the  cause  of  Art.  The  sym- 
bolism, the  ceremonies,  the  sacred  imagery,  the  decorative  adjuncts  of 
a  material  church,  they  regarded  not  only  with  indifference,  but  with 
pious  horror.  No  service  could  be  too  simple,  no  chapel  could  be  too 
plain,  no  priest  too  unsacerdotal  for  the  exigencies  of  their  creed.  To 
what  purpose,  they  asked,  had  the  Reformers  worked  and  suffered  if 
we  were  to  revive  in  the  nineteenth  century  the  ecclesiastical  architecture, 
the  idolatrous  gewgaws,  the  superstitious  forms  and  ceremonies  which 
had  prevailed  in  the  Middle  Ages  ?  Whether  a  congregation  of 
Christians  assembled  for  public  worship  in  a  cathedral  or  a  barn  their 
prayers  would  be  equally  acceptable.  The  best  form  for  a  church, 
they  reasoned,  was  surely  that  which  was  the  simplest — in  which  all 
could  see  the  preacher  and   hear  his  words.     For  the   plan,  a  mere 


Utilitarian  Objections.  191 


parallelogram  would  suffice.  The  chancel,  with  its  Popish  rood  screen, 
its  credence  table  and  sedilia,  was  but  a  relic  of  the  Dark  Ages,  and 
totally  unsuited  to  the  requirements  of  a  Protestant  community. 
Crosses,  whether  on  the  reredos  or  the  gable-top,  were  to  be  avoided  as 
objects  of  superstitious  reverence.  Ornamental  carved  work,  decorative 
painting,  encaustic  tiles,  and  stained  glass  were  foolish  vanities  which 
lead  the  heart  astray.  The  very  name  of.  the  altar  was  a  scandal  and  a 
stumbling-block  to  the  right-minded. 

Such  were  some  of  the  objections  raised  against  a  revival  of  Ancient 
Church  Architecture  by  those  who  conceived  that  they  recognised  in  it 
a  source  of  immediate  danger  to  the  Reformed  faith.  But  there  were 
others  whose  arguments  took  a  more  practical  form.  In  their  opinion, 
a  refined  type  of  structure  and  ecclesiastical  decoration  was  to  be 
avoided,  not  so  much  because  it  might  be  spiritually  dangerous,  but 
because  it  was  decidedly  expensive.  For  the  cost  of  one  stone  church 
with  a  groined  roof,  or  even  an  open  timbered  roof,  two  might  be  built 
in  brick  with  plaster  ceilings  ;  and  who  could  dare  to  say  that  worship 
in  the  plainer  building  would  be  less  devout  or  sincere  than  that  which 
was  offered  in  the  other  ? 

Apologists  were  not  wanting  for  this  economical  scheme  of  church 
extension — a  scheme  which  combined  in  its  purpose  the  distinct  but 
not  opposed  virtues  of  benevolence  and  frugality,  and  which  thus 
awakened  the  consciences  while  it  guarded  the  pockets  of  the  faith- 
ful. A  notable  little  book  was  published  for  the  express  purpose 
of  showing  for  what  small  sums  of  money  some  modern  churches 
had,  and  others  might  be,  built.  The  designs  were  indeed  not  of 
that  order  of  taste  which  would  have  commended  itself  to  the 
Wykehams  and  the  Waynfletes  of  past  ages,  or  to  the  Streets  and 
Butterfields  of  our  own  day.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  most  jealous 
critic  would  have  frankly  pronounced  them  free  from  any  semblance 
of  superstitious  symbolism— from  those  artistic  attractions  in  which 
one  section  at  least  of  the  religious  public  saw  at  that  time  a  pitfall 


192  Ecclesiastical  Economy. 

and  a  snare.  They  were,  in  short,  very  Protestant,  and  what  was  then 
equally  important,  they  were  very  cheap.  The  ingenious  author  took 
a  pride  in  carrying  his  suggestions  into  matters  of  detail.  He  narrated 
how  in  one  church  a  neat  portable  font  had  been  purchased  for  the  sum 
of  14J.  This  did  not  indeed  include  the  price  of  a  pedestal,  but  when 
required  for  use  it  might  be  placed  on  the  communion  table,  in  which 
position  he  (a  clergyman  in  the  Church  of  England)  recommended  that 
it  might  be  used  for  the  service  of  baptism.  Again  it  was  sheer  extra- 
vagance to  employ  gold  or  silver  for  the  sacramental  plate,  when  a 
perfectly  serviceable  chalice,  salver,  and  flagon  (of  Britannia  metal) 
could  be  bought  in  Sheffield  for  3/.  19J. 

The  economy  thus  suggested  was,  no  doubt,  a  well-purposed  economy. 
Money  saved  in  such  a  manner  might  have  been  applied  to  many 
excellent  purposes,  and  among  others  to  that  of  parochial  relief.  But 
it  is  impossible  to  contemplate  the  intention  without  calling  to  mind 
another  instance  of  benevolent  thrift,  proposed  and  authoritatively 
rebuked  in  the  earliest  history  of  Christianity — when,  to  do  honour  to 
her  Master,  the  woman  of  Bethany  broke  her  box  of  precious  ointment, 
and  the  people  murmured  at  its  cost. 

There  is  a  sanguine  maxim  in  physics,  as  in  every-day  philosophy, 
that  when  things  are  at  their  worst  we  may  hope  for  amendment.  To 
what  contemptible  level  the  utilitarian  spirit  which  prevailed  some 
forty  years  ago  might  have  dragged  the  Church  of  England  it  is 
difficult  to  say,  if  a  strong  and  steady  influence  had  not  been  exercised 
in  an  opposite  direction.  English  antiquarians,  as  we  have  seen,  had 
laboured  to  maintain  the  traditions  of  Mediaeval  Art  at  a  time  when 
popular  taste  had  declared  for  an  exotic  style  of  Architecture.  The 
time  had  now  come  when  that  taste  was  on  the  wane.  The  most  im- 
portant public  building  yet  raised  in  modern  England  was  being  erected, 
at  the  suggestion  of  Government,  after  a  Gothic  fashion,  at  least  in 
details.  The  revival  of  a  still  earlier  style  of  design  for  our  churches 
was  due  to  the  ecclesiological  interest  and  researches  which  were  the 
result    of  a    reaction    from   previous    apathy   and  ignorant   prejudice. 


Secular  Apathy.  1 93 


Just  as  the  decision  of  the  Synod  of  Dort  had,  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  indirectly  helped  to  encourage  Arminian  doctrines  under  the 
Stuarts,  so  the  intolerant  Puritanism  that  prevailed  in  this  country  half 
a  century  ago  by  degrees  engendered  an  ecclesiastical  sentiment,  the 
character  of  which  was  half  artistic  and  half  doctrinal. 

Of  course  there  was  a  large  body  of  f  outsiders  '  to  whom  points 
of  taste  and  points  of  doctrine  were  matters  of  equal  indifference. 
Against  them  the  chief  charge  which  could  be  brought — and  it  is  a 
sufficiently  grave  one — was  this  :  that  they  had  allowed  church  fabrics 
to  fall  into  decay,  and  church  services  to  lapse  into  slovenliness.  The 
modern  generation,  with  its  trim  village  churches  carefully  repaired, 
decently  appointed,  and  bedecked  with  flowers  on  festivals ;  or  its  town 
churches,  rich  in  marble,  in  tapestries  and  decorative  painting,  with  a 
daily  service  all  the  year  round,  and  a  full  choir  every  Sunday — the 
orthodox  modern  church- building  generation  can  form  but  little  notion 
of  the  carelessness,  the  irreverence  and  ignorance  which  prevailed  in 
regard  to  matters  ecclesiastical  half  a  century  ago.  Children  were 
allowed  to  grow  up  utterly  uninformed  as  to  the  nature  and  signifi- 
cance of  the  English  Liturgy  and  the  Sacraments.  Baptism  was  a  mere 
ceremony  frequently  performed— in  polite  life — under  the  parental  roof. 
Confirmation  was  in  most  cases  dispensed  with  altogether.  Many  an 
undergraduate  learnt  for  the  first  time  at  his  University  the  difference 
between  Lent  and  Advent.  The  observance  of  Saints'  Days  was 
confined  to  the  denizens  of  the  Cathedral  close  and  to  a  few  fanatics 

beyond  it. 

In  country  districts  a  bad  road  or  a  rainy  day  sufficed  to  keep  half 
the  congregation  away,  even  from  Sunday  services.  Of  those  who 
attended,  two-thirds  left  the  responses  to  the  parish  clerk.  The  rest 
carefully  repeated  the  Exhortation  and  Absolution  after  the  clergyman. 
Cracked  fiddles  and  grunting  violoncellos  frequently  supplied  the  place 
of  the  church  organ.  The  village  choir — of  male  and  female  per- 
formers—assembled in  the  western  gallery.     When  they  began  to  sing, 

o 


194  Condition  of  Church  Service. 

the  whole  congregation  faced  about  to  look  at  them ;  but  to  turn 
towards  the  east  during  the  recitation  of  the  Creed,  or  to  rise  when  the 
clergy  entered  the  church,  would  have  been  considered  an  instance  of 
abject  superstition.  No  one  thought  of  kneeling  during  the  longer 
prayers.  Sometimes  the  Litany  was  interrupted  by  thwacks  from  the 
beadle's  cane,  as  it  descended  on  the  shoulders  of  parish  schoolboys, 
who  devoted  themselves  to  clandestine  amusement  during  that  portion 
of  the  service.  When  the  sermon  began,  all,  except  the  very  devout, 
settled  themselves  comfortably  to  sleep.  The  parson  preached  in  a 
black  gown,  and  not  unfrequently  read  the  Communion  Service  from 
his  pulpit. 

Cathedral  services  were  celebrated  with  a  little  more  decorum,  but  with 
scarcely  less  apathy.  The  buildings  themselves,  from  being  neglected 
altogether,  were  now  preserved  by  shutting  out  the  people.  The 
author  of  c  The  Broad  Stone  of  Honour,'  writing  in  1824,  thus  speaks 
of  their  condition : 

What  would  have  been  the  feelings  of  Johnson  if  he  had  lived  to  see  a 
cathedral  in  England  closed  upon  Sundays,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  part  of 
the  choir ;  the  nave  and  the  great  body  of  the  building  converted  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  into  a  museum,  to  afford  amusement  to  the  curious  and  emolu- 
ment to  the  vergers  j  and  an  order  recognised  and  established  which  decreed 
that  they  should  never  be  entered  as  a  place  of  worship  and  for  the  purpose  of 
devotion  ?  Yet  such  is  the  regulation  which  now  exists  in  the  interior  of  the 
most  celebrated  of  our  ecclesiastical  structures. 

It  is  melancholy  to  think  that  many  of  the  abuses  thus  recognised 
and  deplored  should  still  linger  in  our  system  of  Cathedral  economy  ; 
that  the  elements  of  beadledom  and  vergerism  should  yet  remain  to  be 
eradicated  from  the  ecclesiastical  polity  of  many  a  Chapter  in  the 
United  Kingdom.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  a  great  change  has  since 
taken  place  in  the  mode  and  management  of  ordinary  Church  services. 
The  study  of  ecclesiology,  of  Mediaeval  Architecture,  of  sacred  music, 
and  of  rubrical  usages,  has  by  degrees  transformed  a  conventional  and 


The  Cambridge  Camden  Society.  195 

sometimes  scarcely  reverent  ceremony  into  a  picturesque  and  interesting 
rite.  Various  influences  combined  to  originate  this  change.  It  is  not, 
however,  too  much  to  say  that  they  would  have  been  practically  value- 
less but  for  the  exertions  and  combined  action  of  certain  Churchmen, 
who,  when  the  cause  which  they  had  at  heart  was  still  unpopular  and 
misunderstood,  strove  zealously  and  disinterestedly  to  teach  and  main- 
tain its  fundamental  principles. 

For  some  years  previous  to  the  period  which  our  History  has  now 
reached,  there  existed  an  £  Architectural  Society  '  at  the  University  of 
Oxford,  and  an  *  Antiquarian  Society  '  at  Cambridge  ;  but  the  former 
only  timidly  and  the  latter  only  incidentally  engaged  in  those  re- 
searches which  were  afterwards  called  ecclesiological.  In  1839  two 
undergraduates  of  Trinity  College  at  the  latter  University  conceived 
the  idea  of  founding  a  Society  for  the  Study  of  Church  Architecture  in 
connection  with  ritual  arrangements.  One  of  these  young  men  was  Mr. 
(afterwards  the  Rev.)  J.  M.  Neale,  now  dead,  whose  name  as  an  author 
is  well  known.  The  other,  Mr.  Benjamin  Webb,  is  the  present  in- 
cumbent of  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Wells  Street.  They  communicated 
their  proposal  to  their  college  tutor,  the  Rev.  T.  Thorp  (now  Arch- 
deacon of  Bristol),  who  received  it  favourably,  and  after  some  discussion 
the  Cambridge  Camden  Society  was  formed.  Their  corporate  name 
was  perhaps  not  very  well  chosen.  It  was  intended  to  commemorate 
that  of  the  famous  antiquary,  but  it  had  already  been  adopted  by  a 
literary  Society  in  London. 

Mr.  Thorp  became  the  first  president.  Several  senior  members  of 
the  University  gave  the  Society  a  condescending  rather  than  zealous 
support ;  but  as  time  went  on  they  cautiously  withdrew  their  patronage, 
with  one  exception.  This  was  Dr.  Mill,  the  Regius  Professor  of  Hebrew, 
who  from  first  to  last  remained  true  to  the  cause.  At  first  the  Camden 
had  naturally  to  depend  on  the  exertions  of  young  men — the  under- 
graduates and  B.A.'s  of  Cambridge.  Among  its  earliest  members  were 
many  who  have  been  since  distinguished  in  life.     One  (Mr.  H.  Goodwin) 

o  2 


196  Publication  of  the  l  Ecclesiologist! 


became  Dean  of  Ely,  and  is  now  Bishop  of  Carlisle  ;  another  (Mr.  P. 
Freeman)  is  the  present  Archdeacon  of  Exeter  ;  a  third  (Mr.  J.  S. 
Howson)  was  in  time  preferred  to  the  Deanery  of  Chester  ;  a  fourth 
(Mr.  E.  Venables)  obtained  a  stall  at  Lincoln.  To  this  list  the  names 
of  F.  A.  Paley,  a  distinguished  scholar,  and  S.  N.  Stokes,  now  an  in- 
spector of  schools,  must  be  added,  and  lastly,  though  by  no  means 
least,  that  of  Mr.  Beresford  Hope,  M.P.,  who,  by  his  taste,  his  zeal, 
and  his  liberality,  has  perhaps  done  more  to  promote  the  revival  of 
Mediaeval  Church  Architecture  than  any  layman  in  our  time. 

By  degrees  the  Society  systematised  its  efforts  and  fell  into  efficient 
working  order.  It  held  general  meetings  :  it  delegated  special  commit- 
tees. It  held  periodical  '  field  days,'  when  the  principal  churches  in  the 
neighbourhood  were  visited,  and  every  remarkable  feature  in  their 
design  became  the  subject  of  discussion  and  research.  It  published  a 
series  of  pamphlets,  among  which  Neale's  f  Few  Words  to  Church- 
wardens' attracted  much  attention,  and  laid  the  foundation  for  a  thorough 
reform,  then  sorely  needed,  in  the  care  and  management  of  ancient 
ecclesiastical  structures.  This  brochure  went  through  several  editions, 
enlarged  and  adapted  to  certain  special  requirements,  and  was  followed 
by  the  c  History  of  Pews,'  an  ingenious,  exhaustive,  and  scholarlike 
little  treatise.  At  length,  in  1841,  the  Society  founded  a  magazine  of 
its  own.  This  was  no  other  than  the  c  Ecclesiologist,'  which  has  since 
taken  its  place  in  the  art  literature  of  its  day,  but  the  very  name  of 
which  was  at  that  time  a  novelty,  and  to  some  an  enigma. 

On  May  9,  1840,  the  Committee  of  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society 
issued  their  first  annual  Report — not  without  satisfaction  to  themselves, 
as  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  within  the  space  of  twelve 
months  the  number  of  members  enrolled  had  increased  from  eight  to 
one  hundred  and  eighty.  Four  distinct  methods  were  recommended, 
by  which  the  aim  of  the  Society  might  be  fulfilled.  First,  the  restora- 
tion of  mutilated  architectural  remains  ;  secondly,  the  description  of 
all  churches  visited ;   thirdly,  the  execution  of  drawings  illustrative  of 


General  Objects  of  the  Society.  197 


ecclesiastical  architecture  ;  and,  fourthly,  the  collection  of  brass-rubbings. 
Patience,  zeal,  and  scrupulous  care  were  insisted  on  as  virtues  indis- 
pensable to  the  antiquary,  and  while  a  modest  '  balance  in  hand ' 
testified  the  prudence  of  financial  administration,  promoters  of  the 
good  cause  were  urged  to  contribute  to  its  resources  with  a  liberal 
hand. 

A  systematic  plan  was  devised  for  obtaining  necessary  information 
as  to  the  original  design  and  modern  condition  of  ancient  churches 
throughout  the  kingdom.  Blank  forms  were  printed  and  issued  to 
members  of  the  Society,  suggesting,  under  several  heads,  the  details 
required  for  description.  These  forms  were  rapidly  filled  up  and 
returned.  In  course  of  time  they  formed  a  stock  of  ecclesiological  lore, 
which  has  since  become  most  useful  not  only  to  amateurs,  but  to  pro- 
fessed students  of  Mediaeval  Art. 

Of  course  the  objects  which  the  Society  kept  in  view  and  plainly 
announced  could  not  long  be  dissociated  from  questions  of  doctrine 
among  the  clergy  and  congregations  to  whom  it  especially  directed  its 
appeal.  In  some  quarters  the  movement  in  favour  of  church  resto- 
ration and  ancient  rubrical  usage  excited  distrust  and  even  repugnance. 
It  was  the  peculiar  merit  of  Mr.  Neale's  pamphlets  to  unite,  in  the 
advice  which  they  contained,  the  zeal  of  an  enthusiastic  Churchman,  the 
knowledge  of  a  skilled  antiquary,  and  that  cautious  tact  which  was 
essential  in  an  endeavour  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of  the  general  public, 
without  offending  prejudices  rooted  sometimes  in  religious  principle 
and  more  frequently  in  sheer  ignorance. 

No  one  who  attends  church  at  all,  and  still  less  the  churchwardens, 
on  whom  the  care  of  the  sacred  building  itself  should  devolve,  can 
venture  to  dispute  the  proposition  that  it  is  as  much  the  duty  of  a 
parish  to  preserve  its  church  in  decent  condition  as  it  is  the  duty  of 
the  civic  authorities  to  keep  a  town  hall  in  good  order,  or  of  a  house- 
holder to  maintain  the  stability  and  cleanliness  of  his  dwelling.  Yet  it 
was  a  patent  fact  thirty  years  ago  that  many  a  church,  both  in  town 


198  Ncales  '  Hints  to  Churchwardens.1 

and  country,  had  fallen  into  shameful  and  even  dangerous  neglect. 
This  was  the  first  point  to  which  Mr.  Neale  drew  urgent  attention. 
Why,  he  asked,  while  private  houses  were  kept  clean  and  comfortable, 
should  the  House  of  God  be  suffered  to  decay  or  be  patched  up  in  a 
manner  which  would  disgrace  the  poorest  cottage  whose  inmates  could 
afford  its  repair  ?  With  what  conscience  could  the  country  squire 
leave  his  spruce  and  well-appointed  mansion  to  attend  Divine  service 
in  a  building  where  the  windows  were  broken  or  boarded  over,  the 
walls  mouldy  with  damp,  the  rotting  roof  rudely  plastered  out  of  sight, 
the  floor  ill-paved,  the  ancient  decorative  features  replaced  by  the 
meanest  substitutes  ? 

These  are  questions  which,  if  needed  at  all  in  the  present  day,  would 
find  an  obvious  and  ready  answer.  But  there  was  a  time,  and  within 
the  memory  of  many  Churchmen,  when  they  seemed  to  take  the  general 
public  by  surprise.  Many  of  Mr.  Neale's  suggestions  towards  a  much- 
needed  reform  were  of  a  practical  kind.  He  detailed  the  best  means 
of  preserving  churches  from  damp,  of  keeping  them  clean  and  well 
ventilated.  But  he  also  went  on  to  describe  what  many  of  his  readers 
must  have  learned  from  him  for  the  first  time,  viz.  :  the  plan  and 
purpose  of  an  ancient  parish  church,  the  uses  of  its  several  parts,  the 
significance  and  symbolism  of  its  internal  arrangement.  To  this  he 
added  many  excellent  hints  on  the  subject  of  restoration  and  refitting 
of  naves  and  chancels.  The  subject  of  rubrical  reform  was  cautiously 
approached,  and  the  author  endeavoured  to  give  weight  to  his  sugges- 
tions by  appealing  to  the  piety  and  good  sense  of  intelligent  laymen 
rather  than  by  any  direct  reference  to  questions  of  doctrine. 

The  first  number  of  the  (  Ecclesiologist '  *  appeared  in  November 
1 84 1,  and  its  publication  was  hailed  as  an  important  step  in  the  revival 
of  Church  Architecture.     Its  primary  object  was  to  keep  those  members 

*  It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  words  '  Ecclesiology  '  and  '  Ecclesiologist,'  though  now 
commonly  adopted,  were  originally  invented  and  first  used  by  the  Cambridge  Camden 
Society. 


Opposition  to  the  Camden  Society.  199 


of  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society  who  resided  at  a  distance  from  the 
University  regularly  informed  as  to  the  Society's  transactions.  But  it 
was  also  proposed  to  conduct  the  magazine  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
afford  means  of  inter-communication  on  the  subjects  of  church  building, 
restorations,  and  antiquarian  lore.  Its  pages  were  to  be  open  to  all 
enquirers  on  points  of  architectural  taste,  rubrical  propriety,  or  disputed 
ecclesiastical  usages.  By  these  means  it  was  hoped  to  establish  a  bond 
of  union  between  the  Cambridge  Camden,  and  Oxford,  and  other  Archi- 
tectural Societies,  and  to  maintain  a  common  field  of  labour  in  which 
the  clergy,  professed  architects,  and  zealous  amateurs  might  work 
together  with  the  advantage  of  mutual  assistance. 

The  whole  career  of  the  Society  at  Cambridge  was  an  eventful  and 
exciting  one.  Inaugurated  by  a  small  coterie  of  college  friends,  it 
rapidly  extended  its  relations  in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom.  It  received 
patronage  and  support  from  some  of  the  highest  dignitaries  of  the 
English  Church.  Beneficed  clergy,  University  dons,  distinguished 
laymen  in  every  condition  of  life,  wealthy  amateurs,  as  well  as  many 
an  architect  and  artist  of  note,  were  enrolled  among  its  members. 
With  many  of  these  the  principles  of  reform,  whether  aesthetic  or 
ecclesiastical,  which  it  advocated,  were  extremely  popular.  But  by 
many  outsiders  they  were  regarded  with  suspicion  and  positive  dislike. 
Among  the  latter,  Mr.  Close  (the  present  Dean  of  Carlisle)  proved  a 
determined  though  not  very  formidable  antagonist.  His  famous  c  Fifth 
of  November '  sermon  was  confessedly  an  attack  on  the  Society.  It  was 
preached  in  the  parish  church,  Cheltenham,  and  was  afterwards  pub- 
lished under  a  preposterous  title  which,  no  doubt,  the  reverend  author 
has  long  since  wished  to  forget.* 

Unanimity  did  not  alwaysprevail  among  members  of  the  Society  itself, 
especially  when  questions  of  doctrine  were  involved  in  the  official  censor- 
ship which  its  acting  committee  occasionally  assumed.  The  first  num- 
ber of  the  t  Ecclesiologist '  contained  a  somewhat  severe  criticism  on  a 
*   '  The  Restoration  of  Churches  is  the  Restoration  of"  Popery,'  &c. 


2oo  Restoration  of  the  Temple  Church. 


church  then  recently  erected  at  New  Town,  Cambridge.     Some  of  the 
University  dons  took  alarm  at  what  no  doubt  they  conceived  to  be  a 
sacrifice  of  Protestant  principles  to  antiquarian  orthodoxy.     They  drew 
up   and  addressed   to   the   committee   a   remonstrance,   in   which   they 
expressed  a  fear  that  there  existed  c  in  some  quarters  a  desire  to  convert 
the  Society  into  an  engine  of  polemic  theology  instead  of  an  instrument 
for  promoting  the  study  and  practice  of  Ecclesiastical  Architecture.' 
This  remonstrance  met  with  a  conciliatory  reply.     The  first  number  of 
the  magazine  was  republished,  and  the  article  was  remodelled  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  avoid  cause  of  offence.     As  a  rule  the  notices  of  new 
churches   and   of  restorations  published  by  the    Society   were   doubly 
valuable,  inasmuch  as  they  not  only  conveyed  intelligence  of  such  works 
to  the  amateur,  but  by  degrees  established  a  standard  of  architectural 
taste  and  propriety  in  the  planning  and  arrangement  of  churches  to 
which  even  professional  designers  paid  deference. 

The  restoration  of  the  Temple  Church,  one  of  the  first  events  chron- 
icled in  the  pages  of  the  '  Ecclesiologist,'  was  certainly  an  important 
one  at  this  stage  of  the  Revival.      That  pure  and  beautiful  specimen  of 
Early  English  Architecture,  sharing  a  common  fate  with  many  other 
relics  of  mediaeval  art,  had  suffered  severely  from  neglect  and  modern 
innovations.     Its  chancel  was  blocked  out  from  the  nave.     The  nave 
was  filled  with  pews  which  rivalled  a  jury  box  in  size.     The  walls  were 
wainscoted.     The  floor  was  raised  by  an  accumulation  of  rubbish  to  a 
height  of  some  feet  above  its  original  level.     A  hideous  altar  screen 
rich  in  pagan  symbols,  and  a  pulpit  such  as  Gulliver  might  have  sat 
under  if  he  had   attended  Divine  Service    in    Brobdignag,    had   been 
erected.     The  mural  decorations  of  the  interior  had   been  allowed  to 
perish  or  were  obscured  by  monumental  tablets  of  execrable  taste.   How 
far  the  Templars  themselves  were  individually  or  collectively  responsible 
for  this  desecration  it  is  impossible  to  say.      But  a  day  arrived  when 
they  awoke  to  a  sense  of  shame  and  to  a  memory  of  those  early  archi- 
tectural traditions  which  had  once  been  associated  with  their  Order.     It 


TJie  Ecclesiological  Society.  201 

was  decided  that  the  Temple  Church  should  be  restored.  The  work 
necessarily  extended  over  many  years,  and  more  than  one  architect  was 
employed  in  its  supervision.  It  would  of  course  be  invidious  to  com- 
pare the  earlier  portion  of  the  repairs  executed  with  the  later  and  more 
scholarlike  renovations  by  Mr.  St.  Aubyn.  At  the  present  day  when 
half  the  cathedrals  of  England  are  undergoing  similar  treatment  after 
the  advantage  of  a  whole  generation  of  ecclesiological  study  it  would  be 
surprising  indeed  if  any  obvious  mistake  were  made  in  reproducing  the 
original  design.  But  considering  that  this  work  was  begun  thirty  years 
ago,  the  world  of  art  may  be  thankful  for  the  general  success  with  which 
it  has  been  carried  out. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  although  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society 
reckoned  among  its  members  many  architects  of  high  repute,  whose 
advice  and  assistance  were  always  available,  and  freely  rendered,  it 
selected  its  working  committee  entirely  from  amateurs.  By  this  rule, 
which  from  first  to  last  was  strictly  maintained,  the  infringement  of 
professional  etiquette  was  avoided. 

The  committee  was  for  years  charged  with  all  the  active  functions  of 
the  Society;  but  as  time  went  on  and  many  of  its  members  left  the 
University,  it  became  obvious  that  the  local  '  Camden '  must  either 
remove  to  London  or  be  dissolved.  Luckily  the  former  course  was 
adopted,  and  in  1846  it  took  the  name  of  the  'Ecclesiological  (late 
Cambridge  Camden)  Society.'*  With  this  change  its  special  connection 
with  the  University  ceased,  and  it  elected  on  its  committee  amateurs 
distinguished  for  their  architectural  and  antiquarian  taste,  whether  Cam- 
bridge men  or  not.  Among  those  who  took  a  prominent  position  .in 
the  Society  during  its  second  phase,  and  in  addition  to  its  earlier  mem- 
bers, were  Sir  Stephen  Glynne,  Sir  C.  Anderson,  Mr.  F.  H.  Dickinson 
(late  M.P.),  Messrs.  J.  D.  Chambers,  J.  F.  France,  T.  Gambier  Parry 
(whose  name,  as  well  as  that  of  his  colleague  the  late  H.  S.  Le  Strange, 
has  been  since  most  notably  associated  with  the  theory  and  practice  of 

*  The  words  'late  Cambridge  Camden'  were  afterwards  dropped. 


202  Dr.  Chandler. 


decorative  art),  the  Rev.  G.  H.  Hodson,  the  Rev.  T.  Helmore,  and 
the  Rev.  G.  Williams. 

The  meeting  at  which  it  was  decided  that  the  Society  should  change 
its  name  was  held  in  the  school-room  of  Dr.  Chandler,  the  Dean  of 
Chichester,  who  by  this  time  had  joined  the  Society,  and  was  one  of  its 
most  zealous  supporters.  The  encouragement  which  this  dignitary,  a 
representative  of  the  old  school  of  English  High  Church  clergy,  gave  to 
the  Revival  of  Church  Architecture  deserves  notice.  By  opening  his 
cathedral — as  no  cathedral  had  been  previously  opened — to  the  erection 
of  memorial  windows,  he  created  a  new  and  valuable  impulse  to  the 
art  of  glass-painting.  The  architectural  restoration  of  the  building  he 
entrusted  to  the  late  Mr.  R.  C.  Carpenter,  whose  name  stands  foremost 
among  professional  designers  for  his  accurate  knowledge  of  ancient 
work,  his  inventive  power,  and  his  refined  treatment  of  decorative 
details.  Through  Dr.  Chandler's  exertions  a  new  church  (from  Car- 
penter's design)  was  built  at  Chichester,  and  he  afterwards  became  the 
founder  of  St.  Andrew's,  Wells  Street — the  first  church  erected  under 
Peel's  Act,  and  the  earliest  district  church  in  London  which  was  on 
completion  fitted  up  in  accordance  with  ancient  and  correct  usage,  as 
regards  its  chancel,  stalls,  &c* 

The  appointment  of  Dr.  Peacock  to  the  Deanery  of  Ely,  and  the 
great  works  carried  out  in  that  cathedral  under  his  authority,  were  coin- 
cident with  the  establishment  and  early  history  of  the  {  Cambridge 
Camden  Society  ; '  and  although  he  never  enrolled  himself  among  its 
members,  yet  the  interest  which  he  felt  in  the  Revival  and  the  practical 
character  of  his  efforts  were  of  signal  value  to  the  cause. 

After  the  Society  had  moved  to  London  it  became  the  custom  to 
invite  the  attendance  at  its  committee  meetings  of  architects  and 
decorative  artists  for  the  purpose  of  exhibiting  and  discussing  their 
designs  and  productions,  which  by  common  consent  were  afterwards 
reviewed  in  the  c  Ecclesiologist.'  In  the  pages  of  that  journal,  and 
*  Further  mention  of  this  structure  will  be  made  in  Chapter  XTII. 


The  Oxford  Society.  203 


during  the  second  phase  of  its  existence,  the  Society  found  a  sufficient 
record  of  its  opinions  and  transactions.  But  it  also  published  a 
useful  and  matterful  c  Handbook  of  English  Ecclesiology,'  based  to 
some  extent  on  a  previously  issued  pamphlet,  but  now  rewritten 
chiefly  by  Sir  S.  Glynne  and  Mr.  Neale.  In  1 847  appeared  the  first 
series  of  c  Instruments  Ecclesiastica,'  a  collection  of  designs  for  church 
fittings,  &c,  partly  original  and  partly  illustrative  of  old  examples. 
This  was  compiled  by  an  architect  whose  early  ability  had  won  for  him 
a  confidence  which  has  since  been  well  sustained.  Among  the  host  of 
modern  churches  which  have  been  raised  in  England  during  the  last 
twenty  years  there  are  none  which  bear  the  stamp  of  originality  and 
thoughtful  work  in  a  more  eminent  degree  than  those  designed  by 
Mr.  Butterfield. 

Nearly  contemporary  in  origin  and  almost  identical  in  object  with 
the  <  Cambridge  Camden '  was  the  f  Oxford  Society  for  promoting 
the  Study  of  Gothic  Architecture,'  established  under  the  patronage  of 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese.  Its 
first  president  was  the  President  of  Magdalen  College.  Among  its 
earliest  members  were  many  eminent  clergymen  and  others  whose 
names  have  since  become  famous  in  the  several  departments  of  art, 
literature,  and  science.*  By  means  of  donations  it  soon  formed  the 
nucleus  of  a  useful  library  and  an  interesting  collection  of  drawings  and 
casts  from  the  details  of  mediaeval  remains. 

If  not  quite  so  fervent  as  the  Camden  in  its  zeal  for  the  revival  of 
Gothic,  the  Oxford  Society  showed  from  the  first  a  wise  and  discrimi- 
nating judgment  on  the  question  of  c  restorations,'  which  had  the  effect 
of  tempering  a  policy  that  elsewhere  might  have  sacrificed  to  considera- 

*  As,  for  instance,  the  late  Dr.  Buckland,  afterwards  Dean  of  Westminster,  the  Rev. 
S.  J.  Rigaud,  afterwards  Bishop  of  Antigua  ;  the  Earl  of  Athlone,  the  Earl  of  Dunraven, 
Lord  Courtenay,  Lord  Dungannon,  Chevalier  Bunsen,  Sir  Henry  Ellis,  Sir  Francis  Pal- 
grave,  and  Mr.  Ruskin,  besides  Messrs.  E.  Blore,  B.  Ferrey,  J.  Plowman,  W.J.  Underwood, 
A.  Salvin,  and  other  architects  of  note. 


204  Paper  by  the  Rev.  H.  G.  Liddell. 


tions  of  style  many  a  relic  of  past  times  deficient  indeed  in  the  highest 
qualities  of  architectural  grace,  but  deserving  on  other  grounds  the  in- 
terest and  protection  of  posterity.  A  paper  read  before  the  Society  in 
i  841  by  the  Rev.  H.  G.  Liddell  (the  present  Dean  of  Christchurch) 
contains  a  remarkable  passage  bearing  on  this  point. 

Societies,  no  less  than  individuals,  when  much  interested  in  one  object,  are 
apt  to  become  either  microscopic  or  one-sided  in  their  views  ;  both  these  ten- 
dencies are  a  kind  of  pedantry,  a  fault  to  which  all  persons  are  liable  who  confine 
their  views  too  much  to  one  object,  and  against  which  it  may  be  useful  to  warn 
this  and  other  similar  Societies.  We  must  remember  how  liable  every  man's 
mind  is  to  be  biassed  and  warped  by  systems  of  exclusive  study,  and  that  anti- 
quarians are  peculiarly  open  to  this  failing.  Let  us  therefore  take  warning,  and 
not  set  our  affections  on  one  style  only,  or  on  absolute  uniformity  in  each  style. 
This  is  the  pedantry  of  architecture  j  this  is  the  one-sidedness  we  must  guard 
against.  Many  people,  who,  to  avoid  offence,  may  be  called  not  pedants  but 
purists,  seeing  a  fine  old  church  disfigured,  as  they  would  say,  by  alterations, 
would  begin  sweeping  all  such  disfigurements  clean  away,  and  restoring  the 
church  just  as  it  stood  when  built.  But  the  alterations  of  old  buildings  are  in 
great  part  their  history,  and  however  much  you  may  restore,  you  cannot  recover 
the  original  work  ;  and  so  you  may  be  removing  what  is  of  the  highest  possible 
interest,  to  make  room  for  work,  correct  indeed  as  a  copy,  but  in  itself  of  little 
or  no  value. 

The  practical  value  of  these  remarks  is  enhanced  when  we  remember 
that  they  were  uttered  thirty  years  ago,  when  the  Revival  of  Mediaeval 
art  had  all  the  charm  of  novelty  to  amateurs,  many  of  whom  took  up 
the  cause  with  more  enthusiasm  than  discretion,  and  who  were  inclined 
to  make  short  work  of  anv  relics  which  did  not  exactly  fulfil  their  notions 
of  architectural  propriety. 

In  1841  the  Oxford  Society  published  a  list  of  old  English  bridges 
for  which  pontage-charters  had  been  granted,  together  with  a  set  of 
printed  queries  as  to  the  modern  condition  of  these  and  other  ancient 
structures.  By  such  means  much  useful  information  was  acquired,  and 
the  Society  learned  by  degrees  in  what  direction  their  aid  or  interference 
might  be  made  available.      In  1842  they  purchased  the  entire  collection 


Effect  of  the  University  Societies.  205 


of  architectural  sketches,  nearly  2,000  in  number,  made  by  Rickman  in 
England  and  on  the  Continent.      They  had  evidently  been  intended  to 
form  a  chronological  series  of  examples,  and  though  the  author  did  not 
live  to  complete  his  project,  the  drawings,  especially  those  which  illus- 
trated the  progress  of  window  tracery,  were  extremely  useful  for  refer- 
ence at  a   time  when   but    few  architects  had  troubled  themselves  to 
study  with  anything  like  accuracy  the  monuments  of  the  Middle  Ages. 
Ecclesiastical  furniture  and  fittings  received,  in  due  course,  special  at- 
tention,  at   first   from  amateurs,   and   afterwards   from   architects  and 
manufacturers.      Monumental  brasses  were  sedulously  hunted  up,  and  a 
collection  of  heel-ball  rubbings  was  formed  to  record  their  design  and 
inscriptions.     Encaustic  tiles  were  carefully  reproduced  from  ancient 
models.     Wood  carvers  were  encouraged  to  imitate  as  closely  as  possible 
the  bosses  and  bench-ends  which,  full  of  vigour  in  fancy  and  execution, 
had  remained  for  centuries  neglected  in  many  a  country  church.     The 
history  and  art  of  glass-painting  were  studied  with  enthusiasm.     For 
practical  attention  to  this  subject,  as  well  as  to  many  others  allied  by 
association  or  aesthetic  conditions  with  Mediaeval  architecture,  the  world 
of  art  was  indebted  during  many  years  of  the  Revival  to  the  labours  of 
amateurs. 

After  making  due  allowance  for  the  occasional  over-fussiness  of 
antiquarianism,  and  the  excess  of  ecclesiastical  sentiment  which  was 
inevitably  imported  into  the  movement  by  its  connection  with  the 
Universities,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Architectural  Societies 
at  Oxford  and  Cambridge  did  immense  service  in  popularising  the 
Gothic  cause  among  men  of  refinement  and  education,  who  were  young 
enough  to  acquire  a  taste,  and  had  leisure  to  cultivate  it  without 
seriously  encroaching  on  the  business  hours  or  professional  duties 
of  life. 

In  no  other  way  could  the  seeds  of  this  taste  have  been  scattered  so 
widely  throughout  the  land.  Graduates  who  left  their  college  rooms 
for  curates'  quarters  in  remote  parishes,  or  to  settle  down  as  doctors  and 


206  Mr.  Beresford  Hope. 

attorneys  in  many  a  country  town,  carried  away  with  them  a  pleasant 
recollection  of  the  friendly  meetings  at  Hutts'  and  Wyatts',  the  cheerful 
field  days  and  church  explorations,  the  interesting  papers  and  lively 
discussions  by  which  they  had  profited  as  boys.  By  degrees  the 
Mediaeval  furore  began  to  localise  itself  in  various  parts  of  England. 
At  Bristol,  Exeter,  York,  Lichfield,  and  many  other  cathedral  towns 
(  Diocesan '  or  Archaeological  Societies  were  formed  for  the  definite 
purpose  of  encouraging  the  Revival,  of  elucidating  the  principles  of 
Gothic  design,  and  of  applying  them  to  the  building  and  restoration  of 
churches. 

It  is  certain  that  these  societies,  besides  doing  much  practical  good  by 
the  direct  intervention  and  agency  of  their  members,  became  the  means 
of  eliciting  and  turning  to  advantage  a  great  deal  of  literary  ability. 
Thus  Markland's  well  known  and  ably  written  little  work  on  English 
Churches  had  its  origin  in  a  letter  addressed  to  and  published  by  the 
Oxford  Society  under  the  title  of  c  Remarks  on  the  Sepulchral  Memorials 
of  Past  and  Present  Times,'  &c.  Numerous  papers  descriptive  of  ancient 
churches  were  read  both  at  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  and  were  after- 
wards printed  among  the  Transactions  of  each  Society,  and  illustrated 
with  careful  woodcuts  by  Jewitt.  In  like  manner  some  useful  essays 
prepared  for  the  various  diocesan  societies  gained  a  popularity  and 
exercised  an  influence  which  would  have  been  wanting  if  they  had 
appeared  under  the  author's  name  alone.* 

But  results  of  a  more  immediate  and  practical  kind  soon  ensued  from 
these  associations.  It  was  while  Mr.  Beresford  Hope  was  an  under- 
graduate at  Cambridge,  and  a  member  of  the  Cambridge  Camden 
Society  in  1840,  that  he  determined  to  rescue  from  the  ranks  of  the 
commonplace  in  modern  ecclesiastical  architecture  the  village  church  of 

*  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  '  An  Essay  on  Cathedral  Worship,'  by  the  Rev.  H. 
Dudley  Ryder  ;  '  Remarks  upon  Wayside  Chapels,'  by  the  Messrs.  Buckler;  'A  Guide 
to  the  Architectural  Antiquities  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Oxford  ; '  '  A  Paper  on  Monu- 
ments,' by  the  Rev.  John  Armstrong;  and  'The  Pue  System,'  by  the  Rev.  W.  Gillmorj 
besides  numerous  descriptions  of  churches  which  stood  in  need  of  restoration. 


Kilndown  CJiurch,  Kent.  207 


Kilndown  in  Mid  Kent,  which  had  been  commenced  by  his  kinsman 
Viscount  Beresford  and  other  subscribers  in  the  previous  year.  He 
began  by  instructing  Mr.  Salvin  to  design  a  solid  stone  altar  copied  from 
the  (Third  Pointed)  altar  tomb  of  William  of  Wykeham  at  Winchester, 
and  raised  by  three  steps  above  the  floor  of  the  church.  Acting  under 
the  advice  of  Mr.  Whewell,  he  ordered  from  the  royal  works  at 
Munich  stained  glass  for  all  the  lancet  windows.  The  eastern  triplets 
were  filled  with  the  figures  of  the  Virgin  and  Child,  St.  Peter  and  St. 
Paul.  In  the  south  aisle  windows  were  St.  Cyprian,  St.  Ambrose,  St. 
Jerome,  St.  Augustine,  and  St.  Gregory  the  Great.  The  north  aisle 
was  devoted  to  British  saints,  viz. :  St.  Alban,  St.  Augustine  of  Can- 
terbury, St.  David,  the  Venerable  Bede,  St.  Edward  the  Confessor,  and 
King  Charles  the  Martyr.  In  quality  and  general  treatment  these 
windows  are  much  superior  to  what  is  ordinarily  known  as  Munich  glass. 

Mr.  Hope's  next  work  at  Kilndown  was  to  improve  the  fittings  of 
the  church,  which  had  previously  been  of  a  very  poor  description.  It 
had  been  planned  without  a  chancel,  but  a  space  1 5  feet  in  depth  was 
now  set  apart  at  the  east  end  of  the  nave  to  serve  as  a  sanctuary.  A 
handsome  chancel  screen  designed  by  Carpenter  (a  young  architect  then 
rising  into  notice),  and  decorated  by  Willement,  was  erected.  Stone 
sedilia  and  oak  stalls  were  added,  and  a  pulpit  of  the  Beaulieu  type 
corbelled  out  from  the  south  wall  of  the  nave  formed  a  picturesque  and 
at  that  time  novel  feature  in  the  interior.  A  brass  lectern  and  two 
coronae  designed  by  Butterfield  were  placed  in  the  chancel. 

Externally  the  low  pitch  of  the  roof  was  concealed  by  a  stone 
parapet  pierced  with  trefoils.  In  after  years  various  other  alterations 
and  additions  were  made.  A  stone  lych-gate  gave  access  to  the  church- 
yard. An  unsightly  gallery  was  removed  from  the  west  end  of  the 
church,  and  a  richly  sculptured  reredos  was  presented  by  Mr.  Hope,  in 
1869.  On  the  south  side  of  the  church  the  late  Lord  Beresford  erected 
a  handsome  canopied  monument  *   over  the  family  vault,  in  which  he 

*  In  memory  of  his  wife  the  Viscountess  Beresford  (Mr.  B:resford  Hope's  mother). 


2o8  Progress  of  Public  Taste. 


himself  was  afterwards  buried.  The  general  form  of  this  monument 
was  borrowed  by  Mr.  Carpenter,  who  designed  it,  from  that  of  Arch- 
bishop Gray  in  York  Cathedral,  with  certain  modifications  rendered 
necessary  by  the  external  site  and  double  tomb. 

Thus  enriched  and  altered  from  time  to  time,  Christ  Church, 
Kilndown,  without  pretending  to  be  a  very  complete  or  important 
specimen  of  modern  Gothic,  is  interesting  in  the  evidence  which  it 
affords  of  the  gradual  progress  of  the  Revival  during  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  Built  at  a  moderate  cost  to  meet  the  spiritual  requirements 
of  a  rural  district,  it  will  hereafter  be  associated  with  the  memory  of  a 
family  to  whom  it  owes  its  origin  and  gradual  improvement,  and  whose 
name  has  long  been  distinguished  for  their  attachment  to  the  English 
Church  and  to  the  interests  of  art. 

When  its  foundations  were  first  laid,  Mr.  Beresford  Hope  was  a 
young  but  zealous  member  of  a  society  pledged  to  the  practical  study 
of  ecclesiology.  Twenty  years  later  he  was  elected  its  president. 
During  that  period  great  changes  took  place  in  the  spirit  of  national 
art,  and  in  the  tendency  of  religious  sentiment  in  England.  Taste  in 
architecture  and  painting  reached  a  higher  standard.  Public  worship 
assumed  a  more  imposing  form.  And  the  efforts  of  those  who  first 
entered  on  the  task  of  uniting  the  long  dissevered  elements  of  comeli- 
ness and  devotion  may  well  be  remembered  with  gratitude. 


A.D.  1840  to  1850.  209 


CHAPTER   XII. 

HE  year  in  which  the  foundation  stone  of  the  Parliament 
Houses  was  laid  may  be  taken  as  a  turning  point  in  the  His- 
tory of  the  Revival.  In  the  decade  of  years  preceding  that 
event,  viz.:  from  1830  to  1840,  the  names  of  many  architects  had 
become  more  or  less  associated  with  the  then  modern  efforts  at  Gothic 
design.  Of  these  the  most  notable  (after  Pugin,  who  was  probably 
the  youngest)  were  Shaw,  Poynter  and  Blore,  Salvin,  Ferrey  and  Scoles. 
Others  destined  to  be  as  intimately  and  in  some  instances  more  con- 
spicuously identified  with  the  movement,  were  already  in  practice ;  but 
it  was  not  until  after  the  year  1 840  that  they  were  employed  in  works 
of  any  importance,  or  indeed,  that  such  works  assumed  the  distinctive 
character  of  a  school.  Previous  to  that  period  a  great  deal  of  Me- 
diaeval sentiment  had  been  engendered  in  the  public  mind,  but  it  was  a 
sentiment  easily  satisfied ;  and  though  a  vast  amount  of  erudition  had 
been  brought  to  bear  upon  the  examination  of  ancient  buildings,  upon 
the  analysis  of  styles,  and  the  elucidation  of  principles,  it  does  not  seem 
to  have  resulted  in  the  erection  of  any  structure  which  fulfilled  the  true 
conditions  of  Pointed  Architecture  without  incurring  the  charge  of  direct 
plagiarism. 

Between  1840  and  1850,  however,  though  portions  of  old  buildings 
continued  to  be  copied,  they  were  reproduced  with  more  intelligence  and 
with  a  better  sense  of  adaptation.  The  pioneers  of  the  Revival  began 
to  design  with  greater  confidence  themselves,  and  were  soon  joined  by 
others  who,  profiting  by  their  labours,  advanced  upon  their  taste,  and 
laid  the  foundation  for  a  more  scholarlike  treatment  of  the  style. 
Among  the  new-comers  were  the  late  R.  C.  Carpenter,  whose  career 

p 


2io  Architects  of  the  Revival. 


was  destined  to  be  a  short  but  brilliant  one ;  G.  Gilbert  Scott,  the  pre- 
sent R.A.,  whose  works  would  need  a  volume  to  describe  ;  M.  E.  Had- 
field,  of  Sheffield,  who  for  some  years  divided  with  Pugin  the  practice 
which  fell  to  the  share  of  Roman  Catholic  architects  in  this  country  : 
T.  H.  Wyatt,  now  President  of  the  Royal  Institute  of  British  Architects, 
who,  on  his  own  account  as  well  as  in  conjunction  with  his  partner, 
Mr.  D.  Brandon,  was  largely  employed  in  the  restoration  and  erection 
of  country  mansions  ;  J.  L.  Pearson,  E.  Christian,  and  R.  Brandon, 
the  most  important  of  whose  works  were  executed  after  1850;  J.  C. 
Buckler,  whose  name  has  been  already  mentioned ;  and  E.  Sharpe,  of 
Lancaster,  who,  as  an  antiquary  and  an  author,  as  well  as  by  his  practice, 
aided  in  no  small  degree  the  progress  of  the  Revival. 

These  gentlemen,  with  the  exception  of  Messrs.  Wyatt  and  D.  Bran- 
don, devoted  themselves  almost  entirely  during  their  professional  career 
to  the  study  and  design  of  Gothic.     But  there  were  other  contemporary 
architects  who,  without  pledging  themselves  to  that,  or  indeed,  to  any 
individual  style  of  architecture,  achieved  success  in  that  particular  field. 
Among  these  was  the  late  Philip  Hardwick,  R.A.,  whose  son,  Mr.  P.  C. 
Hard  wick,  superintended  the  design  and  execution  of  Lincoln's  Inn  Hall. 
From  the  bizarre  and  feeble  specimens  of  modern  Gothic  which  were 
raised  in  England  between   1840  and   1845,  an<^  wm^e  tne  writings  of 
Pugin  exercised  their  earliest   influence,  this  building  stands   notably 
apart.     The  Revival  of  any  extinct  school  of  art  must  necessarily  de- 
pend, in  the  first  instance,  on  an  imitation  of  the  letter  rather  than  on  a 
realisation  of  the  spirit  of  ancient  work.      But  the  new  theorists  had  yet 
to  learn  what  they  should  imitate.     It  is  now  generally  admitted  that 
the  types  of  English  and  French  Architecture  which  prevailed  between 
the  twelfth  and  fourteenth  centuries  are  incomparably  superior  to  those 
which  followed  them.     But  the  early  champions  who  fought  for  the 
Pointed  Arch  saw  more  beauty  in  King's  College  than  in  the  Choir 
of   Lincoln   or  the   nave   of  Canterbury,  and,   what  was  worse,  they 
could  not  in  general  distinguish  between  the  merits  and  demerits  of  the 


Li  ii  col  lis  I  mi  Hall.  211 


later  style.  The  earlier  portions  of  Hampton  Court  Palace,  and  Henry 
the  Seventh's  Chapel  at  Westminster,  both  belong  to  what  is  generally 
called  the  Tudor  Period.  Tested  by  a  modern  standard  of  educated 
taste,  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  seems  to  represent  the  real  excellence 
of  Gothic  architecture.  But  for  a  large  public  building  of  a  secular 
character,  there  can  be  little  doubt  which  of  these  two  types  is  capable  of 
being  treated  with  the  more  becoming  grandeur.  We  are  now  enabled 
to  compare  their  respective  merits  in  modern  work.  In  an  artistic  point 
of  view  the  selection  of  the  style  adopted  for  the  Houses  of  Parliament 
has  been  long  since  pronounced  a  mistake.  Mr.  Hardwick,  with  infinitely 
less  scope  for  display,  and  at  a  comparatively  small  outlay,  designed 
a  building  which  will  still  bear  comparison  with  many  which  have  been 
raised  a  quarter  of  a  century  later,  with  all  the  advantages  of  additional 
study  and  maturer  criticism. 

In  general  arrangement  the  plan  is  exceedingly  simple,  but  well  con- 
sidered both  for  effect  and  convenience.  It  consists  of  two  main  blocks, 
viz.  :  the  Great  Hall,  which  extends  from  north  to  south,  and  the  Li- 
brary, which  is  at  right  angles  to  the  Hall.  These  are  connected  by  an 
octagonal  lobby,  flanked  by  the  Benchers'  Room  and  Council  Room, 
while  the  kitchen  and  servants'  offices  occupy  the  ground  floor  and 
basement  stories.  All  the  external  walls  are  faced  with  a  fine  red  brick, 
chequered  at  intervals  with  black  f  headers  '  distributed  in  ornamental 
patterns,  as  in  old  buildings  of  this  character  :  the  quoins,  oriels,  window 
dressings  and  arch  mouldings,  being  of  stone.  An  octagonal  turret  at  the 
north-west  angle  forms  a  picturesque  and  pretty  feature  in  the  main  front, 
and  the  general  proportions  of  the  whole  design  are  excellent.  As  a  rule, 
the  constructive  features  of  this  building  are  honestly  introduced  when 
they  are  wanted ;  and  there  is  a  careful  avoidance  of  those  scenic  and 
complicated  shams  which  were  unfortunately  employed  in  many  works 
of  the  same  date  for  the  mere  sake  of  effect.  The  south  elevation  is 
boldly  and  broadly  treated.  It  presents  the  gable  end  of  the  Great  Hall, 
flanked  by  two  square  towers,  of  which  that  on  the  east  side  is  used,  on 


p  2 


212  Lin  col  lis  Inn  Hall. 


the  first  floor  level,  as  a  porch.  Much  of  the  effect  of  this  front  depends 
on  the  great  simplicity  of  its  masses  :  it  is  not  cut  up  into  meaningless 
detail,  nor  overloaded  with  a  profusion  of  ornament.  On  the  contrary, 
there  is  a  good  broad  surface  of  wall  for  the  eye  to  rest  on,  and  there- 
fore, where  carving  is  introduced  (as  in  the  band  of  panels  at  the 
summit  of  each  tower)  its  artistic  value  is  considerably  enhanced. 

The  character  of  the  carved  work  is  somewhat  in  advance  of  its  day, 
but  it  lacks — especially  in  the  treatment  of  animal  form— the  refinement, 
while  it  scarcely  imitates  the  vigour,  of  old  work.  A  notion  once  pre- 
vailed with  the  detractors,  and  even  with  some  of  the  admirers  of  Gothic 
art,  that  the  conception  of  those  quaint  and  extravagant  monsters  which 
do  duty  for  gurgoyles  and  corbels  in  many  a  Mediaeval  building  was  due 
to  the  old  sculptors'  utter  disregard  of  anatomy.  That  such  a  notion 
is  altogether  erroneous,  will,  however,  be  admitted  by  all  who  have 
examined  these  grotesque  examples  with  attention.  On  the  contrary, 
many  of  them  exhibit  a  strong  suggestion  of  muscular  power.  It  is 
certain  that  they  possess  a  vitality  of  action  which  the  modern  artist 
finds  it  difficult  to  realise  in  such  objects,  especially  when  he  has  to 
work  from  a  drawing  by  another  hand.  The  old  carver  was  his  own 
designer,  and  it  was  his  rude  unsophisticated  interpretation  of  Nature, 
not  his  wilful  contempt  of  her  pattern-book,  which  lent  his  handiwork 

its  charm. 

The  interior  of  the  Great  Hall  is  undoubtedly  very  imposing,  and 
is  equal  if  not  superior  to  anything  of  the  kind  which  had  then  been 
attempted  in  modern  Gothic.  Its  open  timber  roof,  well  framed,  and  of 
generous  dimensions,  is  well  suited,  both  in  pitch  and  construction,  to 
the  proportions  of  the  Hall  itself.  At  the  south  end  of  the  Hall  there  is 
a  wooden  gallery,  picturesque  in  general  arrangement,  but  open  to  criti- 
cism in  points  of  detail,  the  figures  with  which  it  is  decorated  being 
somewhat  large  for  their  situation;  and  the  carved  foliage — like  all 
similar  work  of  that  date— being  coldly  though  carefully  executed. 
The  Hall  is  panelled  all  round  the  other  sides  to  a  height  of  about 


Lincoln's  Inn  Hall.  213 

twelve  feet,  the  upper  parts  of  the  north  end  having  been  since  decorated 
with  the  large  and  well-known  fresco  painting  by  Mr.  G.  F.  Watts, 
R.A. 

The  general  design  of  the  Library  roof  was  apparently  suggested 
by  that  of  Eltham  Palace,  but  it  is  partially  ceiled,  and  thus  loses 
the  character  of  the  original.  The  octagonal  lobby,  which  connects 
the  Great  Hall  and  Library,  shares  the  fate  of  all  vestibules  designed 
on  a  similar  plan:  internally,  it  is  too  lofty  for  its  width;  externally, 
the  octagon,  which  scarcely  rises  above  the  roofs  around  it,  is  insig- 
nificant in  height. 

A  terrace  walk  runs  along  the  whole  length  of  the  building  on  the 
east  side.  This  feature,  in  addition  to  the  gardens  by  which  it  is 
surrounded,  considerably  enhances  its  effect ;  and  indeed,  the  situation, 
in  itself  favourable,  has  been  altogether  most  judiciously  and  success- 
fully treated.  The  entrance  gate-way,  lodges,  &c,  were  all  carefully 
designed  in  accordance  with  the  character  of  the  main  block,  and  the 
isolation  of  the  whole  group  from  surrounding  buildings  is  very  ad- 
vantageous to  its  appearance.  Considering  that  Lincoln's  Inn  Hall 
was  begun  nearly  thirty  years  ago,  while  the  reproduction  of  Gothic  was 
still  marked  by  the  most  flagrant  solecisms,  and  hampered  by  the 
grossest  ignorance  of  those  principles  which  are  essential  to  the  style, 
this  building  may  fairly  be  ranked,  for  its  time,  as  one  of  the  best 
and  most  successful  examples  of  the  Revival. 

The  completion  of  any  public  structure  in  London  or  any  populous 
town  does  more  to  educate  architectural  taste  than  whole  libraries  full 
of  books  and  essays.  But  there  was  a  large  portion  of  provincial 
England  which  had  yet  to  be  converted  by  other  means,  and  apostles 
willing  to  preach  what  they  conceived  to  be  a  great  artistic  truth  were 
not  wanting. 

In  1842,  the  Rev.  W.  Drake  delivered  a  series  of  lectures  upon 
Church  Architecture  in  St.  Mary's  Hall,  Coventry,  which  had  con- 
siderable effect  on  the  local  encouragement  of  Gothic.     The  lecturer 


214  Mr.  Drakes  Lectures. 


insisted  upon  the  importance  of  adhering  to  ancient  types  of  ecclesias- 
tical art,  and  deprecated  the  erection  of  cheap  buildings.  He  drew 
attention  to  the  neglected  state  of  many  rural  churches,  gave  some 
useful  information  as  to  their  proper  appointments,  and  added  his 
testimony  to  the  abuses  of  the  pew  system,  which  were  now  be- 
ginning to  be  generally  acknowledged  by  all  who  cared  to  think  on 
the  subject. 

In  the  same  year  Mr.  A.  Bartholomew  published  his  essay  c  On  the 
Decline  of  Excellence  in  the  Structure  and  Science  of  Modern  English 
Buildings.'     This  did  good  service  to  the  Revival  by  showing  the  close 
connection  which  existed  between  structural  stability  and  architectural 
grace    in    mediaeval    designs.       The   authors   of  this   time   who  wrote, 
in  defence  of  Gothic,  had  been  generally  content  to  base  their  recom- 
mendation of  the  style  on  considerations  of  taste,  convenience,  historical 
interest,  or  nationality.     Its  structural  superiority  from  a  scientific  point 
of  view  seems  as  a  rule  to  have  escaped  notice.      Pugin,  indeed,  had  in 
his  f  Contrasts '  endeavoured  to  draw  attention   to   the  judicious  skill 
displayed  by  the  Mediaeval  builders  as  compared  with  those  of  a  modern 
and  degenerate  age  ;  and  Professor  Willis,  in  his  well-known  essay  on  the 
Vaulting  of  the  Middle  Ages  (published  by  the  Royal  Institute  of  British 
Architects,  in  1842),  had  thrown  considerable  light  on  a  subject  con- 
cerning which  in  this  country  at  least  much  ignorance  still  prevailed. 
But  Pugin  was  too  superficial,  and  Willis  too  deep,  for  the  ordinary 
professional   reader.      The  average   architect  of  thirty  years   ago   was 
neither  an  enthusiastic   sentimentalist,  nor  a  profound  mathematician. 
He  regarded  the  art  mainly  in  a  practical  light ;   and,  if  he  was  to  be 
converted  to  theories  respecting  the  advantage  of  one  style  over  another, 
it  was  necessary  that  he  should  be  approached  in  a  matter-of-fact  and 
practical  manner.     A  handy  book,  or  manual  to  assist  architects  in  the 
preparation  of  specifications,  was  much  needed  at  this  time,  and  Bar- 
tholomew, himself  a  member  of  the  profession,  undertook  to  prepare 
one.     This  portion  of  his  work,  though  since  superseded  by  another 


Bartholomew  s  Essay.  215 


more  suited  to  the  requirements  of  the  present  day,*  was  very  useful  in 
its  time,  but  it  was  preceded  by  an  essay  which  occupied  nearly  half 
the  volume  and  with  which  the  author's  name  will  be  more  permanently 
associated.     In  this  essay   Bartholomew   pointed   out   c  the   decline   of 
excellence    in    the    structure    and    in   the   science  of  modern   English 
buildings,'    and    added   '  a   Proposal   of   remedies   for   those   defects.' 
Many  of  his  comments  and  suggestions  may  seem  superfluous  to  the 
modern  critic,  but  at  the  time  they  were  made,  and  coming   as  they 
did   from  a   man  of  no   narrow  or  bigoted  views,  their  influence  was 
widely  felt.     In  a  lucid  and  perfectly  impartial  manner  he  demonstrated 
the  structural  stability  of  the  pointed   arch,  tha  scie  tific  relations   of 
vaults  and  their  abutments,  the  origin  of  form  in  flying  buttresses,  and 
the  use  of  pinnacles.      He  deplored  the  degeneracy,  the  flimsiness,  the 
alternate    stint    and  waste    of  material  in    modern    architecture :   con- 
demned the  improper  use  of  stucco,  abused  the  medley  of  styles  which 
still  found  favour  in  his  day,  and  was  especially  severe  on  c  the  gross 
corruption  of  the  kind  of  building  called  "  Elizabethan."  ' 

Bartholomew,    moreover,    was    probably    the   first    to   enunciate    a 
principle  now    generally   accepted    by  writers  on   art,  viz.  :    that  the 
conditions  of  true  taste   in   architecture  have   always   been  intimately 
associated  with  those  of  structural  excellence,   and  that,  whenever  the 
latter  have  been  disregarded,  the  former  have  suffered  in  consequence. 
His    treatise    abounds  in  sound    and   pertinent   remarks   on   this    and 
many  other  branches  of  the  subject.     Here  and  there  it  may  be  verbose 
— a  fault  which  the  literary  style  of  the  day  no  doubt  helped  to  en- 
courage— but  it   is  always   readable,   and   there  was  some   excuse   for 
saying  a  great  deal  on  matters  which  had  so  long  escaped  attention. 
The  essay  is  methodically  divided  into  short  chapters,  which  are  sub- 
divided into  sections,  illustrated   (where   necessary)   by   diagrams    and 
woodcuts.      Nothing    can    be  clearer   than   his   explanations:    nothing 
more  reasonable  than   his   arguments.     He  wrote   with   no  blind  en- 

*  By  Professor  Donaldson,  F.RJ.B.A.,  &c. 


216  Bartholomew's  Essay. 

thusiasm  for  Gothic — and  indeed  seems  equally  in  favour  of  Classic 
design — but  he  protests  emphatically  against  the  impositions,  the  faulty 
construction  and  the  pedantry  of  modern  architecture,  and  is  never 
tired  of  repeating  how  widely  it  has  departed  from  the  principles  of 
ancient  art.  Occasionally,  it  is  true,  in  matters  of  detail  he  advanced 
opinions  which  the  purist  of  our  own  day  would  condemn  as  heretical. 
An  architect  who  proposes  to  divide  a  stone  mullion  into  two  halves, 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  advantage  of  a  sash  window  in  his 
Gothic  house,  may  justify  the  proposal  by  considerations  of  expediency, 
but  can  scarcely  defend  it  on  practical  grounds.  It  may  be  folly  to 
reject  a  modern  ccnvenience  for  the  sake  of  artistic  effect.  But  if  we 
adopt  it,  we  must  adopt  with  it  the  external  conditions  which  belong 
to  its  use.  A  stone  mullion  shaped  to  receive  a  casement  is  an  intel- 
ligible and  perfectly  legitimate  feature  ;  but  two  strips  of  stone  shaped 
to  look  like  a  solid  mullion,  and  really  concealing  a  hollow  sash  frame, 
represent  at  best  a  clumsy  compromise  between  traditional  form  and 
present  requirements  in  architecture. 

Notwithstanding  a  few  minor  errors  of  this  kind— errors  which  may 
be  the  more  readily  excused  when  we  remember  that  the  study  of  the 
style  was  still  in  its  infancy — Bartholomew's  essay  may  be  described  on 
the  whole  as  the  work  of  a  thoroughly  practical  man,  who  drew  at- 
tention to  the  scientific  side  of  mediaeval  architecture  at  a  time  when 
most  of  its  supporters  talked  of  nothing  but  its  sentimental  or  artistic 
claims  to  adoption. 

The  antiquarian  societies,  however,  on  their  part,  did  good  service  in 
continuing  their  efforts  to  preserve  as  samples  for  study  many  a  relic  of 
ancient  art  which  had  remained  neglected  in  country  districts  where 
Mediaeval  sympathies  were  as  yet  unknown.  Among  these  the  British 
Archaeological  Association,  formed  c  for  the  encouragement  and  prose- 
cution of  researches  into  the  Early  and  Middle  Ages,  particularly  in 
England,'  soon  enrolled  as  its  members  some  of  the  most  eminent 
architects,  artists,  and  dilettanti  of  the  day.     An  acting  committee  was 


Exhibition  of  Mcdiceval  Art.  217 


appointed,  who  put  themselves  in  communication  with  similar  societies 
in  the  provinces  and  on  the  Continent  ;  held  frequent  meetings  ;  pro- 
moted investigations  with  the  aid  of  professional  assistance ;  interfered, 
when  possible,  to  preserve  ruinous  monuments  from  destruction  ;  col- 
lected drawings  illustrating  such  remains  ;  arranged  for  visits  to  the 
most  remarkable  Cathedral  towns,  &c,  in  England,  and  published 
reports  of  their  proceedings  for  general  information. 

The  choice  of  style  of  the  Houses  of  Parliament  was  now  a  matter 
beyond  dispute ;  but  the  nature  of  its  internal  decoration  remained  to 
some  extent  an  open  question.  For  this  reason,  and  with  a  view,  no 
doubt,  to  test  the  public  taste  in  such  matters,  Her  Majesty's  Com- 
missioners of  Fine  Arts  decided  on  holding  an  exhibition  at  West- 
minster of  the  designs,  &c,  which  had  been  submitted  for  the  fittings 
and  furniture  of  the  New  Palace.  It  included  specimens  of  wood- 
carving,  stained  glass,  and  metal  work  suggested  for  use  in  various 
parts  of  the  building.  Being  destined  for  this  purpose,  they  naturally 
aimed  at  a  mediaeval  character  ;  and,  though  probably  few  approached 
the  standard  of  excellence  by  which  such  objects  were  judged  ten  years 
later,  the  exhibition  was  of  undoubted  value,  as  an  incentive  to  industrial 
art,  and  a  means  of  educating  public  taste  before  the  rage  for  Inter- 
national Exhibitions  had  developed  itself. 

Meanwhile  Pugin  continued  to  issue  volume  after  volume  and  pam- 
phlet after  pamphlet,  not  only  in  support  of  the  Revival,  but  in  abuse 
of  what  he  loved  to  call  the  Pagan  styles,  and  not  unfrequently  in 
severe  criticism  of  Gothic  designs  by  his  professional  contemporaries. 
Among  others,  Mr.  Scoles,  himself  a  Catholic  architect,  who  had 
essayed — not  very  successfully,  it  must  be  confessed — to  build  a 
Norman  Church  at  Islington,  was  soundly  rated  by  this  merciless 
censor,  who  published  a  view  of  the  old  parish  Church  of  St.  Mary, 
Islington,  which  he  declared  (without  sufficiently  considering  the  con- 
ditions of  site)  should  have  formed  a  model  for  the  new  building. 

On  the  other  hand,  Pugin  constantly  exposed  himself  to  reproof  in 


2 1 8         Wilton  Church  and  Cheltenham  College. 

the  public  press  by  his  violent  attacks  not  only  on  the  art,  but  on  the 
faith  of  those  who  chanced  to  differ  from  his  own  convictions,  as  well 
as  by  the  injudicious  manner  in  which  he  insisted  on  measuring  every 
modern  institution  and  social  custom  by  a  Mediaeval  standard.  It  re- 
quired no  great  sagacity  to  perceive  that  requirements  of  life  in  the 
nineteenth  century  could  never  possibly  be  met  by  reverting  to  the 
habits  of  our  ancestors  four  or  five  centuries  ago  ;  and  if  this  was  to  be 
a  necessary  condition  of  the  Revival,  no  one  could  be  blamed  for 
declining  to  sacrifice  the  comforts  of  advanced  civilization  for  the 
sake  of  architectural  taste. 

The  most  important  Anglican  Church  erected  about  this  time  (1843) 
was  undoubtedly  that  built,  at  Wilton,  by  the  Hon.  Sidney  Herbert, 
then  Secretary  to  the  Admiralty,  from  the  design  of  Messrs.  T.  H. 
Wyatt  and  D.  Brandon.  The  Lombardic  character  of  this  structure 
excludes  it  from  the  list  of  Gothic  examples  ;  but  the  liberal  munificence 
of  its  founder,  who  spent  20,000/.  upon  the  building,  and  the  sump- 
tuous nature  of  its  decoration,  exercised  in  course  of  time  a  great  and 
valuable  influence  on  private  patronage  and  public  taste  in  architecture. 

Among  domestic  buildings  the  Proprietary  College  at  Cheltenham, 
erected  from  designs  by  Mr.  J.  Wilson  of  Bath,  may  be  mentioned  as 
a  fair  specimen  of  early  modern  Gothic.  Its  oriel  windows,  battle- 
mented  turrets,  flying  buttresses,  and  crocketed  pinnacles  do  not 
indeed  realise  the  true  spirit  of  Mediaeval  design,  but  associated  in  a 
facade  some  250  feet  in  length,  could  scarcely  fail  to  impress  the  un- 
professional critic  in  favour  of  the  style. 

Up  to  this  date  architecture  had  no  representative  in  the  cheap 
periodical  journals  of  the  day.  The  publication,  therefore,  of  the 
'  Builder,'  in  1843,  brought  for  the  first  time  within  the  reach  of  art 
workmen  and  students,  an  illustrated  weekly  record  of  professional 
news.  Without  pretending  to  an  exclusive  devotion  to  Gothic,  it 
became  the  means  as  time  went  on  of  familiarising  the  general  public 
with   many   a    relic   of   antiquity,  which   would  otherwise   have   been 


Publication  of  '  The  Builder!  219 

known  only  to  those  who  could  afford  to  buy  expensive  works  on 
architecture.  It  published  views  of  churches  and  manor  houses,  with 
details  drawn  to  a  larger  scale.  These  woodcuts,  rudely  as  they  at  first 
were  executed,  became  very  serviceable  for  reference  and  information. 

A  curious  evidence  of  the  gradual  extension  of  ecclesiastical  senti- 
ment in  connection  with  the  Revival — even  to  our  school  girls — mav 
be  noted  in  the  appearance  of  a  little  book,  entitled  f  Aunt  Elinor's 
Lectures  on  Architecture,'  published  nearly  thirty  years  ago.  Its 
object  was  to  inform  young  ladies — and  no  doubt  there  were  many 
who  wished  to  be  informed — of  the  general  history  of  the  Pointed 
Styles,  the  orthodox  arrangement  and  fittings  necessary  in  a  church,  the 
names  and  use  of  its  various  parts  and  furniture.  All  this  was  very 
skilfully  and  carefully  explained  by  the  authoress  (now  known  to  be 
Miss  M.  Holmes),  who  supplemented  her  architectural  teaching  by 
many  hints  and  suggestions  as  to  the  manner  in  which  her  readers  might 
best  employ  their  energies  in  the  service  of  the  Church,  viz.,  not  by 
working  slippers  for  their  favourite  curate,  or  by  subscribing  to  pre- 
sent him  with  a  piece  of  plate,  but  by  employing  their  needles  in  the 
embroidery  of  altar-cloths,  and  by  saving  their  pocket-money  to  pay 
for  a  fald-stool  or  lectern. 

Meanwhile  the  effect  of  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society's  exertions 
had  begun  to  manifest  itself  in  various  quarters  throughout  the  United 
Kingdom.  At  Llangorwen  in  Cardiganshire,  a  church  was  erected 
about  1842,  which  was  pronounced  to  be  in  point  of  style  and  internal 
arrangements  one  of  the  most  complete  and  successful  imitations  of 
ancient  models  that  had  yet  been  produced.  It  had  a  stone  altar,  with 
an  arcaded  reredos,  a  rood  screen,  a  lectern,  a  Litany  desk,  and  open 
stalls  of  oak  for  the  clergy  and  congregation.  At  Birmingham, 
Kingston-on-Thames,  Woking,  Hanwell,  and  Shaftesbury,  churches 
were  built  about  the  same  time  from  the  designs  of  Mr.  G.  G.  Scott, 
whose  '  Martyrs'  Memorial '  at  Oxford  contributed  in  no  small  degree 
to  establish   his   reputation   as  a  Gothic   architect.     These   structures 


220  The  Works  of  Scott  and  Fcrrey. 

were  freely  criticised  by  the  Society,  who  naturally  objected  to  every 
plan  which  departed  in  the  least  degree  from  ancient  tradition  in  its 
arrangement.  The  absence  or  curtailed  proportions  of  the  chancel 
constituted  a  gravamen,  to  which  attention  was  frequently  called,  and 
at  length  with  success.  At  the  present  day  an  architect  would  as  soon 
think  of  building  a  church  without  a  chancel,  as  of  building  one  without 
a  roof. 

Mr.  Ferrey's  design  for  the  Holy  Trinity  Chapel  at  Roehampton 
was  much  admired  at  the  time.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest,  ablest,  and 
most  zealous  pioneers  of  the  modern  Gothic  school.  His  architectural 
taste  was  for  years  in  steady  advance  of  his  generation,  and  as  an 
authority  on  church  planning  and  general  proportions  he  had  scarcely 
a  rival.  His  work  possessed  the  rare  charm  of  simplicity,  without 
lacking  interest.  By  the  use  of  carefully  studied  mouldings  and  a 
spare  but  judicious  introduction  of  carved  ornament,  he  managed  to 
secure  for  his  buildings  a  grace  that  was  deficient  in  many  contem- 
porary designs,  which  had  been  executed  with  far  more  elaborate 
decoration  and  at  greater  cost.  His  country  churches  are  especially 
notable  for  this  reticent  quality  of  art,  and  in  that  respect  recall  in  a 
great  measure  the  excellence  of  old  examples.  As  a  specimen  of  the 
class  (though  erected  at  a  later  period),  that  of  Chetwyndin  Shropshire 
may  be  cited :  there  is  a  picturesque  and  quiet  dignity  in  its  compo- 
sition which  is  eminently  suggestive  of  Old  English  Architecture. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  London  no  church  of  its  time  was  con- 
sidered in  purer  style  or  more  orthodox  in  its  arrangement  than  that 
of  St.  Giles,  Camberwell,  designed  by  Mr.  Scott  in  1841.  The  nave 
is  divided  into  five  bays  by  piers  alternately  round  and  octagonal  in 
plan,  supporting  acutely  pointed  arches,  with  plain  chamfered  edges 
and  a  dripstone.  The  clerestory  windows  (of  two  lights  each)  are 
spanned  by  arches  which  spring  from  attached  columns  corbelled  from 
the  wall.  The  chancel  is  probably  one  of  the  earliest  which  during  the 
Revival  was  built  of  proper  length  ;   is  lighted  on  either  side  by  t.iree 


Chunk  of  S.  Mary,  Chetwynde,  Shropshire. 
B.  Ferry,  Architect,  1S65. 


St.  Giles  s  Church,  Camberwcll.  221 


windows,  with  a  five-light  window  at  the  east  end.  The  crux  is 
groined  under  the  tower,  which  externally,  with  canopied  niches  at  its 
junction  with  the  spire,  presents  a  very  picturesque  feature.  The  nave, 
chancel,  and  transepts  have  open  timber  roofs  of  a  plain  and  un- 
objectionable character,  but  the  wood  fittings  generally  are  hardly 
worthy  of  the  rest.  It  is  curious  to  observe  in  this  and  other  churches 
of  the  same  date  that  the  aisle  galleries,  in  spite  of  archaeological  and 
antiquarian  protests,  continued  to  be  retained  as  an  indispensable 
feature.  That  it  was  a  feature  inconsistent  with  a  faithful  reproduction 
of  ancient  models  could  not,  of  course,  be  denied.  But  it  was  found 
difficult  to  answer  the  plea  in  its  favour  put  forward  by  utilitarians, 
who  argued  that  by  means  of  a  gallery  a  definite  number  of  additional 
sittings  could  be  secured.  It  does  not  seem  to  have  occurred  to  these 
economists  that  their  argument  pushed  to  its  limits  would  have  reduced 
the  plan  of  every  church  to  a  simple  parallelogram,  would  have 
abolished  the  chancel,  substituted  iron  columns  for  stone  piers,  and  in 
short,  converted  their  church  into  a  meeting-room.  Few  persons  as 
yet  fully  appreciated  the  absurdity  of  doubling  the  cost  of  a  church  by 
the  erection  of  a  tower  and  spire,  while  the  expense  of  its  superficial 
area  was  to  be  saved  by  piling  the  congregation  on  each  other's  heads. 
Happily  in  the  present  day  sanitary  considerations  have  had  their 
weight  in  preventing  the  intrusion  of  galleries ;  for,  it  is  obvious  that 
unless  the  aisles  of  a  church  be  heightened  out  of  due  proportion,  the 
difficulties  of  ventilation  are  increased  by  every  gallery  which  is 
introduced. 

The  decorative  carving  in  the  capitals,  &c.  of  St.  Giles's  Church  is 
better  in  design  than  execution,  being  coarsely  cut  in  parts.  Yet  in 
these  and  other  details  the  work  showed  a  decided  advance  in  operative 
skill.  The  stained  window  at  the  west  end,  though  open  to  objection 
in  the  style  of  drawing,  caught  something  of  the  tone  of  old  glass. 
The  metal  work  and  gas  fittings  (if  contemporary  with  the  church) 
are  very  creditable  for  their  date.     Externally  the  building  would  have 


222  Mr.  R.  C.  Carpenter. 


gained  in  effect  if  the  masonry  had  been  carried   up  in  courses   less 
uniform  in  depth,  and  if  the  roof  had  been  covered  with  tiles  or  slates 
of  the  ordinary  size.      Nevertheless,  seen  from  the  road,  with  its  tower 
and  spire  rising  from  the  centre  of  a  compact  plan,  it  forms  an  excellent 
and  well-composed   group  invested  with  a   certain    charm  of  artistic 
proportion,  which  the  ordinary  church  architect  of  that  day  seldom  or 
never  succeeded  in  realising.     To  give  even  a  brief  description  of  the 
numerous  works  on  which  Mr.  Scott  at  this  early  period  of  his  life  was 
engaged,  would  be  simply  impossible.     Even  to  catalogue  those  which 
he  has  since  undertaken  would  be  an   arduous   task.      Perhaps   among 
the  admirers  of  his  early  skill  there  may  be  those  who  regret  that  his 
practice   should  have   been   so  extensive  as   to  preclude  that  concen- 
trated attention  which  every  artist  would  gladly  bestow  on  his  work. 
But  in  any  case  it  must  be  remembered,  that  for  years  he  was  in  the 
van  of  the  Revivalists  :   that  for  years  he  was  facile  princeps  of  de- 
signers :  that  for  years  he  laboured  with  his  pen  as  with  his  pencil  to 
support  the  cause  which  he  had  at  heart ;  and  that  if  the  fashion  of  art 
has   undergone   a   change   since   he  was  young,  in   the   Middle   Ages 
themselves  it  was  subject  to  a  like  mutability. — 

Credettc  Cimabue,  nella  pittura, 

Tener  lo  campo,  ed  ora  ha  Giotto  il  grido. 

Mr.  R.  C.  Carpenter's  name  has  been  already  mentioned  among  the 
group  of  English  architects  who  between  1840  and  1850  distinguished 
themselves  and  advanced  the  Gothic  cause  by  their  ability  in  the  field 
of  design :  and  perhaps  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  in  that  group  his 
name  should  have  pre-eminence — if  not  for  the  extent  of  his  works 
— (though  they  were  numerous  for  his  unfortunately  short  life) — at 
least  for  their  careful  and  scholarlike  treatment.  No  practitioner  of 
his  day  understood  so  thoroughly  as  Carpenter  the  grammar  of  his  art. 
From  his  earliest  youth  the  study  of  Mediaeval  Architecture  had  been 
a  passion  with  him  ;  and  it  is  said  that  when  only  nineteen  years  of  age 
he  had  prepared  the  design  for  a  '  First  Pointed '  Church  of  a  large  and 


St.  Stephen's  and  St.  Andrew's^  Birmingham.    223 

sumptuous  character,  which  but  for  an  accidental  circumstance  might 
have  been  erected  at  Islington.  As  a  pupil  he  appears  to  have  given 
remarkable  attention  to  the  character  and  application  of  mouldings, 
and  indeed  the  judicious  use  which  he  made  of  them  and  other  details 
bears  ample  testimony  to  the  fact.  A  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  pro- 
portion, of  the  conditions  of  light  and  shade,  and  the  effective  employ- 
ment of  decorative  features  are  arrived  at  by  most  architects  gradually 
and  after  a  series  of  tentative  experiments.  Carpenter  seems  to  have 
acquired  this  knowledge  very  early  in  his  career,  so  that  even  his  first 
works  possess  an  artistic  quality  far  in  advance  of  their  date,  while 
those  which  he  executed  in  later  years  are  regarded  even  now  with 
admiration  by  all  who  have  endeavoured  to  maintain  the  integrity  of 
our  old  national  styles.  Whether,  if  Carpenter  had  lived,  he  would 
have  been  influenced  by  the  growing  taste  for  Continental  Gothic, 
which  for  a  while  threatened  to  obliterate  the  traditions  of  English 
architecture,  may  be  doubted.  It  is  certain  that  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1855,  we  find  no  trace  of  such  an  influence  on 
his  designs. 

His  first  church  was  that  of  St.  Stephen  at  Birmingham,  probably 
commenced  in  1841,  about  which  time  he  became  (through  Pugin's 
introduction)  a  member  of  the  Ecclesiological  Society.  St.  Andrew's 
(also  in  Birmingham)  was  his  next  commission,  for  the  execution  of 
which  he  deservedly  obtained  great  credit.  It  is  built  of  red  sandstone, 
and  belongs  in  common  with  most  of  his  works  to  the  f  Middle 
Pointed  '  period.  The  plan  consists  of  a  nave  and  rather  short  chancel, 
with  an  engaged  tower  of  three  stages  at  the  north-west  angle.  The 
stone  spire  surmounting  the  tower  is  from  a  Rutlandshire  model,  and 
far  less  elancee  in  its  proportions  than  the  ordinary  modern  spire  of  its 
date  (1844.)  The  interior  is  very  plain,  with  a  partially  open  roof  over 
the  nave,  which  is  five  bays  in  length.  The  chancel  roof  is  ceiled  and 
panelled.  The  window  tracery  partakes  both  of  a  geometrical  and 
flowing  character,  and   is  well  studied.      The  arch  mouldings   of  the 


224  The  Works  of  R.  C.  Carpenter. 


entrance  porch  and  the  weathering  of  the  buttresses  show  a  marked 
improvement  in  the  treatment  of  detail. 

In  the  following  year  Mr.  Carpenter  began  the  Church  of  St.  Paul 
at  Brighton,  a  well-known  structure,  remarkable  not  only  for  the  great 
advance  which  it  indicates  in  the  study  of  decorative  features,  but  for 
the  peculiarities  of  plan  which,  owing  to  the  conditions  of  its  site, 
became  a  matter  of  necessity.  This  was  probably  one  of  the  first  modern 
country-town  churches  erected  with  a  palpable  recognition  of  those 
changes  of  ritual  which  were  now  openly  encouraged  by  a  certain  sec- 
tion of  the  clergy  and  as  certainly  approved  by  a  large  body  of  laymen. 
Among  others  erected  from  Mr.  Carpenter's  designs  were  those  of 
Cookham  Dean  ;  St.  James,  Stubbing,  in  Berkshire  ;  St.  Nicholas  at 
Kemerton  in  Gloucestershire ;  St.  Andrew  at  Monckton  Wyld  in  Dor- 
setshire;  St.  Peter  the  Great  at  Chichester;  St.  Mary  Magdalene, 
in  Munster  Square,  London  (an  excellent  example  of  his  skill)  ; 
Christchurch  at  Milton-on-Thames  ;  and  St.  John  the  Baptist  at  Bovey 
Tracy  in  Devon.  The  restorations  conducted  under  his  superintend- 
ence were  very  numerous — as  were  also  the  schools  and  parsonages 
which  he  built  in  various  parts  of  England.  His  most  important 
works,  the  Colleges  of  St.  John,  Hurstpierpoint,  and  of  St.  Nicholas, 
Lancing,  were  designed  at  a  later  period,  and  unfortunately  he  did  not 
live  to  see  the  latter  building  executed. 

The  progress  of  the  Gothic  Revival  during  Carpenter's  lifetime,  and 

while  the  style  of  design  with  which  its  name  is  associated  was  as  yet 

caviare  to  the  multitude — received  timely  aid  and  encouragement  from 
the  taste  and  munificence  of  private  patrons  whose  antiquarian  researches 
and  accurate  connoisseurship  raised  them  above  the  prejudices  which 
still  lingered  to  the  disadvantage  of  Mediaeval  Art.  Among  these  Mr. 
Beresford  Hope  may  be  reckoned  one  of  the  most  active  and  enthusiastic. 
The  instances  in  which  this  gentleman  has  exercised  an  influence,  either 
directly,  or  by  means  of  his  public  position,  to  effect  not  only  the 
restoration  and  maintenance  of  Old  English  Architecture,  but  also  the 


St.  Augustine  s  Abbey,  Canterbury.  225 

reproduction  of  its  beauties  in  modern  work — are  too  well  known  to 
need  enumeration  here.  A  notable  example  may,  however,  be  men- 
tioned in  which  he  found  a  field  for  the  twofold  accomplishment  of  his 
wishes. 

St.  Augustine's  Abbey  at  Canterbury  was  one  of  the  numerous  mon- 
astic buildings  which  were  disestablished  after  the  Reformation.  It  had 
been  originally  founded  by  St.  Augustine  as  the  burial-place  of  the  Kings 
of  Kent  and  of  the  Archbishops.  The  courts  and  buildings  which 
were  once  included  within  its  walls,  are  said  to  have  covered  sixteen 
acres  of  ground.  Upon  the  dissolution  of  the  Abbey  its  site  and  ruins 
became  Crown  property,  and  it  was  in  a  mansion  partly  remodelled  and 
partly  reconstructed  on  this  spot  that  Charles  I.  first  met  his  betrothed. 

The  venerable  gateway,  which  once  formed  the  entrance  to  the  Abbey, 
and  which  dates  from  the  fourteenth  or  early  part  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, was  standing  in  1845,  but  had  been  preserved  for  an  ignoble 
purpose.  The  room  within  its  upper  portion,  once  the  state  bed- 
chamber of  the  Abbey  and  Palace,  had  been  converted  into  a  brewer's 
vat,  having  previously  been  used  as  a  cockpit.  The  sacred  precincts 
of  the  Abbey  itself  were  desecrated  by  the  presence  of  a  common 
bcershop,  raised  on  the  site  of  the  Guests'  Hall.  The  Guests'  Chapel 
and  the  Abbey  Church  were  in  ruins.  The  enclosure,  which  once 
echoed  only  the  solemn  tread  of  cloistered  monks,  or  the  peaceful  ring- 
ing of  the  Angelus,  had  come  to  resound  with  the  low  brawling  of 
skittle  players,  and  a  wall  which  stood  under  the  shadow  of  the  tower 
raised  by  Scoland  (the  first  Norman  Abbot)  was  given  up  to  target 
practice. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  St.  Augustine's  Abbey  at  a  period  when 
the  sympathies  of  English  Churchmen  were  being  roused  in  favour  of 
Colonial  Missions  by  the  praiseworthy  exertions  of  Edward  Coleridge. 
The  property  was  put  up  for  auction,  and  luckily,  both  for  antiquarian 
and  ecclesiastical  interests,  it  fell  into  good  hands.  Mr.  Beresford  Hope 
— then  M.P.  for  Maidstone,  recognised  in  the  time  as  well  as  in  the 

Q 


226  Sf.  Augustine's  College,  Canterbury. 


place,  an  excellent  opportunity  to  serve  at  once  the  National  Church  and 
the  National  architecture  of  England.  The  want  of  a  Training  College 
for  our  Missionary  Clergy  had  long  been  felt.  If  such  an  Institution 
was  to  be  established,  what  better  site  could  be  found  for  it  than  the 
Archiepiscopal  city  of  Canterbury ;  and  on  what  foundation  could  it  be 
more  appropriately  raised  than  on  the  ruins  of  a  building  rich  in  associa- 
tions of  ecclesiastical  history,  and  dedicated  to  the  first  Apostle  of  Eng- 
land ?  Mr.  Hope  succeeded  in  purchasing — not  without  considerable 
expense  and  trouble — the  site  and  remains  of  the  Abbey,  and  placed 
them  at  the  disposal  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  for  this  purpose  ; 
munificently  supplementing  his  gift  with  funds  towards  its  endow- 
ment. The  good  work  and  its  purpose  excited  public  interest. 
Friends  of  the  Church  came  forward  with  donations  in  aid  of  the  scheme. 
Mr.  Butterfield — even  then  one  of  the  most  accomplished  architects  of 
his  day — was  engaged  to  restore  such  portions  of  the  ancient  structure 
as  might  be  restored,  to  rebuild  where  necessary,  and  to  unite  the 
whole  into  a  building  worthy  of  its  name.  The  result  was  St.  Augus- 
tine's College. 

The  general  appearance  of  this  work — like  most  of  Mr.  Butterfield's 
domestic  architecture — is  remarkable  for  its  extreme  simplicity.  On 
entering  the  College  through  the  ancient  gateway  which  has  been 
already  mentioned,  the  visitor  finds  himself  in  a  spacious  quadrangle, 
three  sides  of  which  are  occupied  by  buildings.  To  the  left  are  the  stu- 
dents' quarters — a  long  range  of  rooms  under  one  roof,  raised  on  an 
open  cloister,  and  reached  by  two  turret  staircases,  which  form  effective 
features  on  the  north  side.  The  floor  of  these  rooms  is  carried  on 
stone  ribs,  which  span  the  cloister  and  abut  on  piers  between  the  windows. 
On  the  east  side  is  the  library,  a  noble  and  well-proportioned  structure, 
lighted  by  six  pointed  windows,  for  the  tracery  of  which  the  architect 
found  an  excellent  and  appropriate  model  in  the  ancient  Archiepiscopal 
Palace  of  Mayfield.  The  basement  story  of  this  building,  vaulted  with 
brick  groins  and  stone,  forms  an  admirable  work-room  for  the  students, 


St.  Augustine's  College,  Canterbury.  227 

who  there  learn  something  of  practical  carpentry,  and  the  details  of  such 
other  handicraft  as  may  be  useful  in  the  Colonies. 

An  ample  porch  and  picturesque  flight  of  steps  lead  to  the  library ;  which 
has  an  open  timber  roof,  simply  but  ingeniously  framed,  and  exhibiting 
a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  construction  than  was  common  in  Gothic 
wood-work  of  the  time.  The  west  side  of  the  quadrangle  is  occupied 
by  the  chapel  and  refectory,  standing  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  the 
former  having  been  recently  rebuilt,  and  the  latter  partly  restored  from 
the  old  Guesten  Hall.  The  chapel  is  fitted  with  stalls  to  the  whole 
length  of  both  sides,  each  stall  having  its  f  miserere  '  seat  carved  after  a 
different  design.  Every  detail  in  this  chapel,  from  the  encaustic  tiles 
with  which  the  floor  is  paved  to  the  braced  roof  overhead,  exhibits  evi- 
dence of  careful  study.  The  proportions  of  part  to  part  are  excellent, 
the  mouldings  graceful  and  refined  in  character,  and  the  decorative 
features — which  are  but  few — skilfully  and  effectively  introduced. 

The  Warden's  Lodge  and  other  domestic  buildings  extend  southwards 
from  the  chapel.  Externally,  the  walls  of  the  whole  College  are  chiefly 
of  flint,  with  stone  dressings — the  roofs  being  covered  with  tiles  of  light 
red.  These  simple  materials  lend  an  air  of  homely  rural  beauty  to  the 
architecture,  which  is  in  thorough  unison  with  the  dignified  modesty  of 
the  design.  The  task  which  Mr.  Butterfield  had  to  execute  was  not  an 
easy  one.  Of  the  ancient  monastery  there  were  not  sufficient  remains 
left  standing  to  justify  what,  in  an  antiquarian  sense,  would  have  been 
a  complete  restoration.  On  the  other  hand,  the  venerable  gateway, 
though  much  mutilated,  and  portions  of  the  block  of  buildings  on  its 
right,  were  substantially  sound,  while  the  excavations  on  the  site  of  the 
library  disclosed  evidence  of  foundations  which  it  would  have  been  van- 
dalism to  disregard.  The  architect  had  to  steer  a  middle  course  between 
a  reverence  for  the  past  and  the  necessities  of  the  present  age.  How 
admirably  he  succeeded,  no  one  who  examines  St.  Augustine's  College 
with  attention  can  doubt.  The  entrance  gateway  was  repaired  just 
sufficiently  to  arrest  its  decay  and  no  further.     The  f  under  croft'  of  the 

Q  2 


228  Mr.  Butterficld. 


old  refectory  was  rebuilt,  and  served  as  a  substructure  for  the  new 
library".  The  chapel  and  hall  were  carefully  restored,  with  such  modifi- 
cations in  regard  to  plan  as  were  deemed  necessary.  The  cloister  and 
students'  rooms  occupying  the  north  side  of  the  quadrangle  are  entirely 
modern,  but  the  character  of  their  design  is  in  perfect  harmony  with 
those  portions  of  the  old  building  which  served  as  a  key-note  for 
architectural  style. 

A  quarter  of  a  century  has  elapsed  since  St.  Augustine's  was  begun. 
Mr.  Butterfield's  name  has  since  been  associated  with  larger  and  more 
important  commissions.  But  though  his  later  works  exhibit  evidence 
of  maturer  taste  and  a  wider  range  of  study,  no  architect  of  our  time 
has  deviated  so  little  from  the  principles  of  design  which  he  adopted  at 
the  outset  of  his  professional  career,  and  which,  in  this  case,  are  abun- 
dantly manifest. 


The  Rev.  J.  L.  Petit.  229 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


jpajMONG  the  difficulties  which  beset  the  consistent  re-adoption 
ml     of  Mediaeval  Architecture  in  England  at  a   time  when   the 


expedience  of  its  revival  at  all  remained  a  vexed  question, 
was  the  perplexity  in  which  both  architects  and  their  employers  were 
involved  by  the  selection  of  style.  For  the  generic  term  c  Gothic  '  was 
itself  but  a  vague  appellation  of  several  fashions  of  house-building  and 
church-building  which  had  succeeded  each  other  with  more  or  less 
continuity  through  four  centuries.  This  left  a  wide  range  of  choice, 
even  if,  by  common  consent,  the  advocates  of  Mediaeval  art  had  con- 
fined themselves  to  English  types.  But  as  the  facilities  for  foreign 
travel  increased,  professional  students  and  enthusiastic  amateurs  came 
back  from  the  Continent  with  notes  and  sketches  in  Belgium,  France, 
and  Italy,  which  soon  suggested  a  still  wider  field  of  taste. 

The  Rev.  J.  L.  Petit,  who  died  only  recently,  was  a  clergyman 
of  the  Church  of  England,  who  throughout  a  long  life  devoted 
himself  to  the  study  and  illustration  of  architecture.  He  sketched  with 
rapidity  and  cleverness,  and  though  his  drawings  were  always  too  rough 
and  hastily  executed  to  be  useful  for  reference  on  matters  of  detail, 
they  conveyed  an  excellent  notion  of  the  general  design  of  a  building 
judged  simply  as  a  picturesque  composition.  In  1841  he  published 
two  volumes  entitled  c  Remarks  on  Church  Architecture,'  profusely 
illustrated  with  sketches,  chiefly  made  on  the  Continent.  In  the  selec- 
tion of  subjects  he  allowed  himself  free  range.  Romanesque,  Tran- 
sitional, and  Flamboyant  types  of  Gothic,  the  churches  of  Normandy 
and  the  ruins  of  Rhineland,  Lombardic  belfries,  Italian  campanili, 
Swiss  bridges  and  Welsh  chapels,  became  in  turn  studies  for  his  pencil, 


230  Mr.  E.  A.  Freeman. 


and  texts  for  his  discourse.  His  remarks  on  the  development  of  style 
— on  the  analogies  which  exist  between  various  types  of  architecture  in 
Europe,  and  the  features  which  are  characteristic  of  each — show  that 
he  must  have  studied  with  close  attention  and  with  the  advantage  of  an 
excellent  memory.  But  his  taste  was  of  too  cosmopolitan  an  order  to 
be  of  practical  service  to  the  English  Revival,  and  where  it  found 
decided  expression  might  fairly  be  challenged  as  questionable.  A  critic 
who,  after  traversing  Europe  in  search  of  architectural  beauty,  pro- 
nounces Milan  Cathedral  the  finest  Continental  church  which  he  has 
seen,  and  who  considers  that  the  introduction  of  the  Perpendicular  line 
saved  English  Gothic  from  debasement,  affords  a  signal  proof  of  the 
fact  that  even  the  most  comprehensive  study  and  the  most  accurate 
archaeological  information  will  not  always  suffice  to  educate  an  amateur 
in  the  principles  of  structural  excellence. 

Petit  was   not   the  only  champion  of  the  Tudor  arch.     Mr.  E.  A. 
Freeman,  in  a  paper  which  he  read  before  the   Oxford  Architectural 
Society,  c  On  the  Development  of  Roman  and  Gothic  Architecture,  and 
their  Moral  and  Symbolical  Teaching,'  plainly  expressed  his  preference 
for  both  the  earliest  and  latest  types  of  Gothic  to  that  which  was  then 
and  indeed  is  still  designated  as  c  Middle  Pointed.'     The  author  happened 
to  add  some  remarks  respecting  the  prevalent  taste  of  the  day,  which 
seemed  to  be  directed  against  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society.     This 
was  noticed  in  a  short  review  of  his  essay  which  appeared  in  the  f  Ec- 
clesiologist.'     Mr.   Freeman  replied   in  a  long  and  learned  letter,  de- 
fending his  principles,  condemning  the  commonly  accepted  nomenclature 
of  the  Pointed  styles,  and  entering  on  a  metaphysical  dissertation  as  to 
the  nature  of  Proto-symbolism,  which   must  certainly  have  awakened 
some  of  the  young  architects  of  the  day  to  a  sense  of  the  philosophy 
of  their  art.     But  the  subject  was  not  allowed  to  drop  here.     The  next 
number  of  the  c  Ecclcsiologist '  contained  an  article,  thirty-two  pages  in 
length,  in  which  the  principles  of  Mediaeval  architecture,  the  doctrines 
of  the  Christian  faith,  and  the  minutiae  of  mystic    symbolism,  were 


Ecclesiological  Symbolism.  231 


considered  in  relation  to  each  other.  In  following  the  lengthy  argu- 
ments of  this  and  many  similar  essays  of  the  day,  the  modern  reader 
will  naturally  feel  surprised  at  the  amount  of  time,  of  patience,  and 
of  learning  which  was  bestowed  on  the  discussion  of  theories  advanced 
in  the  name  of  ecclesiology,  but  scarcely  calculated  to  promote  either 
the  encouragement  of  art  or  the  interests  of  religion.  That  the  out- 
ward and  visible  form  of  Church  Architecture  was  in  the  Middle  Ages 
influenced  by  theological  creed  there  can  be  little  doubt,  but  that  this 
influence  extended  to  every  detail  of  construction  and  ornament — that 
it  inspired  the  designers  or  workmen  with  anything  more  than  an 
ordinary  respect  for  the  traditions  of  their  craft,  or  that  as  a  rule  they 
allowed  the  principle  of  symbolism  to  interfere  with  more  practical 
considerations — it  is  impossible  to  believe,  without  rejecting  the  plainest 
evidence  of  common  sense.  Take,  for  instance,  the  occasional  deviation 
of  the  chancel  from  the  axial  line  of  the  nave,  which  has  been  supposed, 
and  with  some  probability,  to  have  indicated  the  inclination  of  Our 
Saviour's  head  on  the  Cross.  Was  such  symbolism  considered  of  value 
or  worth  perpetuation  in  Mediaeval  times  ?  If  it  were,  we,  in  this 
degenerate  age,  can  only  express  our  surprise  that  in  ninety-nine  cases 
out  of  a  hundred  it  was  rejected  as  superfluous.  Assuming  that  the 
triplet  window  was  intended  to  typify  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  what 
do  the  theologians  say  to  a  window  of  two  lights,  or  of  five  ? 

Again,  we  know  that  the  arts  of  sculpture  and  of  painting  were  fre- 
quently employed  in  honour  of  the  Christian  virtues,  and  to  cast  shame 
on  every  opposite  vice.  But  there  are  instances  of  decorative  detail  in 
many  a  church  which  point  no  moral  and  proclaim  no  truth  beyond  the 
fact  that  art  in  any  age  may  descend  to  obscenity.  Are  we  to  suppose 
that  the  authors  of  such  work  as  this  pursued  it  with  a  pure  and  reve- 
rential sense  of  duty  to  their  faith  ?  Is  it  not  more  likely  that  they 
wielded  the  brush  and  chisel — with  a  more  skilful  hand  indeed,  but 
with  no  higher  or  moral  purpose  than  any  workmen  of  our  own  time  ? 
The  experience  of  modern  life  teaches  us  that  great  artistic  refinement 


232  The  Symbolism  of  Durandus. 


may  be  found  occasionally  associated  with  boorish  manners  and  sensual 
indulgence.  And  if  this  is  possible  in  the  nineteenth  century,  why 
may  it  not  have  been  so  in  the  thirteenth  ?  The  fashion  of  taste  may 
have  changed,  but  not  the  morality  of  art. 

Between  the  false  sentiment  and  the  redundant  symbolism  which 
have  been  associated  with  Mediaeval  architecture  in  turn  by  fanatical 
devotees  and  over-zealous  antiquaries,  it  is  no  wonder  that  men  who  do 
not  share  the  extreme  views  of  either  party  should  have  become  nau- 
seated with  the  very  name  of  Gothic. 

In  1843  a  translation  of  Durandus  was  published  by  two  well-known 
members  of  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society.  It  is  remarkable  that 
this  work,  which  may  be  considered  the  fountain-head  of  ecclesiastical 
symbolism,  should  contain  so  little  evidence  of  these  essentials  in  form 
and  number  which,  in  the  clerical  mind,  some  thirty  years  ago,  constituted 
the  chief  grace  of  architectural  design.  But  there  are  other  difficulties 
in  the  way.  An  earnest  Churchman,  who  believes  with  the  Bishop  of 
Mende,  that  c  a  church  consisteth  of  four  walls,'  because  it  is  built  on 
the  doctrine  of  the  Four  Evangelists,  cannot  fairly  complain  that  the 
plan  of  a  Methodist  chapel  is  too  simple  in  form.  Durandus  points  to 
the  weathercock  on  the  summit  of  a  church  as  the  appropriate  symbol 
of  a  watchful  preacher.  The  writer  of  an  epigram  in  the  c  Ecclesio- 
logist '  calls  it  the  symbol  of  a  wavering  mind,  and  applauds  its  re- 
moval to  make  room  for  a  cross.  According  to  Durandus,  c  the 
chancel  (that  is  the  head  of  the  church)  being  lower  than  its  body, 
signifieth  how  great  humility  there  should  be  in  the  clergy.'  It 
happens  to  be  one  of  the  peculiar  points  insisted  on  in  the  design  of 
every  orthodox  modern  church,  that  the  chancel  shall  be  higher  than 
the  nave.  These  inconsistencies  are  merely  mentioned  here  to  show 
what  little  importance  can  be  attached  to  the  letter  of  symbolism 
when  studied  as  a  science.  Yet  into  defence  of  this  symbolism  the 
*  Ecclesiologist '  earnestly  entered,  and  in  accordance  with  its  principles, 
many  an  honest  parson  and  clever   architect,  whose  time  might  have 


Nomenclature  of  Styles.  233 


been  better  employed,  proceeded  to  ransack  every  church  and  rack  his 
brains  with  the  hope  of  discovering  some  mysterious  significance  in 
structural  or  decorative  features  of  wood  and  stone,  which  owed  their 
origin,  in  most  cases,  to  simple  expedience  or  ingenious  fancy.  Du- 
randus  was  soon  outdone.  Every  curate  who  meddled  in  such  matters 
hit  a  fresh  nail  on  the  head  as  he  examined  the  framing  of  his  church 
door.  A  new  light  illumined  him  when  he  looked  up  at  the  west 
window.  Enthusiastic  amateurs  took  to  counting  the  piers  of  the 
nave  and  measuring  the  chancel  floor,  involved  themselves  in  wonderful 
calculations  as  to  the  ancient  use  of  the  mystic  numbers  3  and  7,  and, 
figuratively  speaking,  when  they  wanted  an  inch  they  not  unfrequently 
took  an  ell. 

Concurrently  with  the  mania  for  symbolism,  the  vexed  question  as  to 
the  nomenclature  of  styles  was  maintained  with  extraordinary  vigour. 
Into  how  many  distinct  periods  Pointed  Architecture  could  with  pro- 
priety  be    divided  ;    whether    the    first    should    receive    the    name    of 
f  Lancet,'  f  Early  English,'  or  c  Complete '  ;  whether  the  next  should 
be   called   c  Second    Pointed  '    or    c  Decorated  '  ;   whether   c  Decorated  ' 
could    be    subdivided    into    '  Geometrical '    and    f  Flowing '  ;    whether 
1  Flowing '  meant  the  same  thing  as  c  Continuous ' ;  whether  there  was 
a  '  Discontinuous '   style,  and  in  what  respect  they   all  differed   from 
'  Flamboyant,'  were  matters  under  eternal  discussion.     And  the  more 
they  were  discussed  the  more  hopelessly  confused  the  student  became. 
It  required  more  than  ordinary    intelligence  to  remember  off-hand 
what  a  writer  meant  by  such  a  complicated  expression   as   c  the  early 
days  of  Late  Middle    Pointed,'   and  this  was  simple  and   perspicuous 
compared  to  some  of  the  terms  employed.     The  absurdity  of  attempt- 
ing to  form,  except  in  the  most  general  way,  a  system  of  terms  which 
should  at  once  imply  the  date  and  fashion  of  every  architectural  struc- 
ture without  reference  to  the  effect  produced  by  local  traditions,  ma- 
terial, and  the  accidents  of  individual   caprice,  or   ability,  can   only  be 
fully  realised  if  we  suppose  the  same  system  applied  to  the  historv  of 


234  Sharpcs  'ArcJiitcctural  Parallels! 

any  other  art — that  of  Painting,  for  example.      At  present,  the  school 
of  Raffaele,  the  school  of  Padua,  and  the  Eclectic  schools,  are  terms 
frequently  employed  and  easily  recognisable,  inasmuch  as  they  suggest, 
respectively,  the  influence  of  a  person,  a  locality,  or  a  class  of  painters. 
But  if  art  critics  spoke  of  the  paulo-post-Peruginesque,  or  the   Late 
Middle  Francian  manner,  we  should  be   led   to  suspect  first  their  in- 
telligence and  then  their  accuracy.     No  rational  observer  can  suppose 
that  the  Mediaeval  builders  were  guided  in  their  modifications  of  style 
by  any  but  practical  or  aesthetic  considerations,  induced  sometimes  by 
the    requirements  of  the  work   in   hand,   sometimes   by   the   force   of 
example,   and    more    frequently   perhaps    by   that   instinctive    love    of 
change  which  is  a  universal  law  in  the  progress  of  art.      One  or  more 
of  these  causes  was   sure   in   course   of  time  to   affect  the  plan  of  a 
window,  the  pitch  of  a  roof,  or  the  profile  of  a  capital.     But  to  sup- 
pose that  they  evolved  out  of  their  inner  architectural  consciousness  a 
series  of  complete  and  irrefragable  rules,  which  associated  a  certain  form 
of  arch  with   a  fixed   character  of  moulding,  .and  set  apart  a  certain 
pinnacle  of  a    particular    buttress,   after    the  manner   of  Sir   William 
Chambers  and  the  Five  Orders,  would  be  to  rob  genuine  Gothic  of  half 
its  interest. 

While  the  antiquaries  were  disputing  over  dates  and  styles,  and 
ecclesiologists  were  divided  as  to  whether  symbolism  should  be  alle- 
gorical or  anagogic,  it  is  lucky  that  a  few  architects  contributed  by  their 
more  practical  studies  many  important  additions  to  the  Literature  of  the 
Revival.  Among  these,  Sharpe's  c  Architectural  Parallels,'  a  work 
illustrating  the  progress  of  Ecclesiastical  Architecture  through  the  twelfth 
and  thirteenth  centuries,  deserves  especial  mention.  Though  Britton  and 
others  had  devoted  pen  and  pencil  to  the  history  and  delineation  of  our 
Cathedrals,  though  Willson  and  Pugin  had  measured  and  described 
the  most  notable  '  Pointed  '  churches  and  examples  of  our  old  domestic 
architecture,  the  ruins  of  those  magnificent  abbeys  which  are  scattered 
over  Yorkshire  and  other  parts  of  England  were  as  yet  little  known  to 


Mr.  E.  Sharpens  PVorks.  235 


the  professional  student.  Mr.  E.  Sharpe,  an  architect  who  had  already- 
distinguished  himself  as  a  Cambridge  graduate,  set  himself  to  repair 
this  deficiency.  He  published  two  folio  volumes,  the  one  devoted  to 
perspective  views  of  the  buildings  as  they  stood,  the  other  to  geometrical 
elevation  and  plans  accurately  figured,  as  well  as  detail  drawings  of  those 
parts  which  remained  intact  or  could  be  safely  Restored'  in  illustration. 
A  new  mine  of  architectural  interest  was  thus  opened. 

The  simple  grandeur  of  the  remains  at  Fountains  and  Kirkstall,  the 
graceful  fenestration  of  Tintern,  the  elegant  proportion  of  Whitby  and 
Rievaulx,  and  the  refined  enrichment  of  Howden  and  Selby,  were 
now  delineated,  not  with  the  hasty  touch  of  a  pictorial  artist,  but 
with  the  careful  accuracy  of  a  draughtsman  who  understood  the  con- 
struction and  rationale  of  every  feature  which  he  saw.  The  student 
who  referred  to  the  plates  of  detail  found  at  a  glance  the  section  of  every 
moulding  in  these  venerable  structures  drawn  to  scale  and  ranged  side 
by  side.  He  could  compare  the  piers  of  Furness  nave  with  those  of 
Jervaulx,  the  window  jambs  of  Bridlington  with  those  of  Guisborough. 
Studies  such  as  these  are  only  appreciated  by  men  who  have  made  archi- 
tecture a  profession,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  publication 
of  Mr.  Sharpe's  works  exercised  a  great  influence  on  professional  taste, 
by  drawing  attention  to  older  and  purer  examples  of  Gothic  than  had 
yet  been  imitated. 

As  a  designer,  Mr.  Sharpe  had  already  won  his  spurs  by  the  erection 
of  many  churches  in  Lancashire,  Yorkshire,  and  Cheshire,  the  largest 
of  which  was  Trinity  Church,  Blackburn,  planned  to  accommodate  a  con- 
gregation of  1500  persons,  with  a  lofty  tower  and  spire — and  the  best, 
perhaps,  that  of  Knowsley,  near  Prescot,  built  for  the  late  Lord  Derby. 
The  churches  at  Lever  Bridge,  Bolton,  and  that  of  Piatt,  near  Man- 
chester, by  the  same  architect,  were  built  completely  of  terra  cotta. 
The  former  is  a  small  church  with  a  west  tower  and  a  traceried  spire 
standing  on  an  octagonal  lantern.  Here  the  whole  of  the  window  tracery, 
as  well  as  the  pinnacles,  finials,  and  other  decorative  features  employed, 


236  Paley  s  '  Gothic  Mouldings! 


is  of  fire-clay.  This  was  probably  the  first  attempt  to  adapt  that 
material  to  the  construction  and  enrichment  of  every  part  of  a  Gothic 
Church,  and  it  is  satisfactory  to  know  that  for  twenty  years  it  has  stood 
the  effects  of  Lancashire  smoke  and  atmospheric  influences  without 
being  in  the  slightest  degree  injuriously  affected. 

The  second  example  belongs,  like  the  first,  to  that  style  which  Mr. 
Sharpe  would  call  '  Curvilinear.'  It  has  a  nave,  aisles,  and  chancel,  with 
a  S.W.  tower  and  spire,  the  latter  being  solid  but  crossed  by  bands  of 
tracery.     In  both  churches  the  moulded  work  is  rich  and  varied. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Burnley,  Preston,  Knutsford,  and  Settle, 
not  to  mention  other  places,  are  examples  of  Mr.  Sharpe's  design, 
executed  for  the  most  part  between  the  years  1836  and  1846.  He  also 
erected  a  number  of  mansions,  of  which  the  most  important  were 
Capernwray  Hall,  near  Burton,  and  Hornby  Castle,  in  Lancashire. 
The  instances  are  rare  in  which  architects,  at  least  of  our  own  day,  have 
found  time  for  contributing  to  the  literature  of  their  art  during  a  pro- 
fessional practice.  But  both  by  his  books  and  his  works,  Mr.  Sharpe 
has  identified  himself  with  the  cause  of  Mediaeval  art,  and  we  may  be 
sure  that  in  years  to  come  his  name  will  be  inseparably  associated  with 
the  Gothic  Revival. 

In  1845,  Mr.  F.  A.  Paley,  then  Honorary  Secretary  of  the  Cambridge 
Camden  Society,  published  a  practical  little  treatise  on  Gothic  Mouldings, 
profusely  illustrated  with  examples  from  the  earliest  to  the  latest  types. 
This  was  followed  by  c  A  Manual  of  Gothic  Architecture,'  from  the  pen 
of  the  same  author.  The  latter  has  been  superseded  by  larger  and 
more  important  works,  but  to  this  day  c  Paley 's  Mouldings  '  will  be  found 
among  the  books  recommended  for  study.  About  the  same  time  ap- 
peared c  Bloxam's  Principles  of  Gothic  Architecture,'  a  small  but  well- 
digested  volume  admirably  adapted  for  the  use  of  amateurs.  Within  a 
few  years  it  went  through  nine  editions,  showing  the  rapidly  increasing 
popularity  of  Gothic  among  the  non-professional  public. 

Messrs.  Bowman  and   Crowther's  f  Churches  of  the  Middle  Ages,' 


Bowman  and  Crowthcr.  237 


was  a  large  and  sumptuous  work  illustrating  well  selected  specimens  of 
the  Early  and  Middle  Pointed  structures,  together  with  a  few  of  the 
purest  Late  Pointed  examples.  The  art  of  lithography  had  by  this 
time  much  improved,  and  was  admirably  adapted  for  illustrations  of 
architecture  on  a  large  scale,  especially  when  it  was  desired,  as  in  this 
case,  to  publish  perspective  views  of  an  artistic  character  in  the  same 
volume  with  plans,  elevations,  and  studies  of  detail.  The  scrupulous 
care  with  which  these  plates  were  prepared  rendered  them  invaluable 
for  reference  to  many  an  architect  who  had  had  neither  time  nor  oppor- 
tunity to  study  the  admirable  churches  of  Lincolnshire  and  other  counties 
whose  treasures  were  now  revealed  for  the  first  time,  not  by  merely 
general  views,  but  by  accurate  drawings  on  a  large  scale,  of  spires, 
porches,  window  tracery,  sedilia,  canopies,  and  all  those  decorative 
features  which  give  life  and  character  to  the  buildings  of  the  middle 
ages.  These  features  were  drawn  with  far  more  knowledge  and  expres- 
sion of  architectural  form  than  heretofore,  and  though  the  sketches  of 
carved  work  were  still  coldly  executed,  they  represented  a  considerable 
advance  in  delineative  skill. 

It  is  remarkable  that  neither  in  this  case  nor  in  that  of  Sharpe's 
f  Parallels,'  any  descriptive  text  should  have  been  printed  with  the 
plates.  Perhaps  the  authors  thought  that  enough  and  more  than  enough 
had  been  said  about  Gothic  in  other  quarters,  and  that  the  time  had 
arrived  when  it  was  better  to  let  the  merits  of  Mediaeval  art  speak  for 
themselves. 

Meanwhile  a  more  popular  work,  both  by  reason  of  the  subjects 
selected  for  illustration  and  the  nature  of  the  illustrations  themselves, 
was  reviving  a  taste  for  that  old  manorial  style  of  domestic  architecture 
which,  subject  to  many  modifications  of  detail,  and  varying  considerably 
in  qualities  of  design,  had  prevailed  in  this  country  from  the  fifteenth  to 
the  seventeenth  centuries.  Nash's  c  Mansions  of  England  in  the  Olden 
Time,'  conveyed  in  its  very  title  so  much  interest  even  to  the  most  super- 
ficial critic  that  it  is  no  wonder  it  attracted  attention.  But  it  was,  moreover, 


238  Nas/is  'Mansions  of  England! 

the  work  of  an  accomplished  artist  who  had  at  an  early  age,  and  in  an 
extraordinary  degree,  acquired  the  knack  of  investing  with  a  picturesque 
charm  every  object  which  he  chose  to  portray.  The  facility  of  his  pencil 
was  as  the  facility  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's  pen,  and  they  were  both  de- 
voted with  equal  success  to  recalling  the  romance  of  Mediaeval  life.  It 
required  no  technical  knowledge  of  architecture  to  appreciate  the 
venerable  aspect  of  Haddon  Hall,  with  its  panelled  rooms,  its  ample 
fire-places,  and  tapestried  walls.  The  air  of  dignified  repose,  of  jovial 
hospitality,  and  lordly  splendour,  indicated  throughout  such  apartments 
as  those  of  Levens  in  Westmoreland,  of  Adlington,  Bramhall,  and 
Brereton  in  Cheshire,  of  Athelhampton  in  Dorsetshire,  and  of  Hatfield 
in  Herts,  appeals  at  once  to  the  taste  and  sympathies  of  many  an 
amateur  who  may  be  unable  to  discriminate  nicely  between  Tudor  and 
Elizabethan  work,  but  who  feels  instinctively  that  the  country  houses 
of  our  ancestors,  for  a  century  or  more,  realised  every  necessary  comfort 
in  their  day,  while  they  were  a  hundredfold  more  artistic  and  interesting 
than  the  cold  formal  mansions  of  the  Georgian  era. 

Seen  in  their  present  state,  some  half  modernised,  some  damaged  by 
time  and  wilful  neglect,  others  spoilt  by  injudicious  restoration,  many  of 
these  ancient  mansions  are  but  dimly  suggestive  of  their  former  magni- 
ficence. It  was  Nash's  aim  to  represent  them  as  they  were  in  the  days 
when  country  life  was  enjoyed  by  their  owners,  not  for  a  brief  interval 
in  the  year,  but  all  the  year  round,  in  days  when  there  was  feasting  in 
the  hall  and  tilting  in  the  courtyard,  when  the  yule  log  crackled  on  the 
hearth,  and  mummers  beguiled  the  dulness  of  a  winter's  evening,  when  the 
bowling-green  was  filed  with  lusty  youths,  and  gentle  dames  sat  spin- 
ning in  their  boudoirs,  when  the  deep  window  recesses  were  filled  with 
family  groups,  and  gallant  cavaliers  rode  out  a-hawking  ;  when,  in  short, 
all  the  adjuncts  and  incidents  of  social  life,  dress,  pastimes,  manners,  and 
what-not,  formed  part  of  a  picturesque  whole  of  which  we  in  these 
prosaic  and  lack-lustre  days,  except  by  the  artist's  aid,  can  form  no  con- 
ception. 


Mr.  Robert  IV.  Billings.  239 

When  these  delightful  volumes  were  published  a  fresh  impulse  was 
given  to  the  study  of  ancient  architecture  for  domestic  purposes. 
People  began  to  see  for  themselves  that  the  old  national  style  of  house- 
building was  neither  so  gloomy  nor  uncomfortable  as  it  had  once  been 
considered.  They  found  that  the  rooms  might  be  lofty,  the  windows 
wide,  the  chimney  corners  cosy,  the  staircases  ample  and  convenient. 
They  learned  that  a  gabled  roof  was  not  inconsistent  with  grandeur, 
and  that  a  walled  porch  afforded  better  shelter  from  the  weather  than  an 
open  portico,  that  chimney  shafts,  buttresses,  and  many  another  feature 
which  the  modern  '  Italian  '  architect  makes  a  shift  to  hide,  may  become 
the  ornaments  of  a  Gothic  house,  that  the  style  admits  of  every  variety 
of  plan,  and  may  embrace  every  modern  requirement,  that  it  is  as  well 
adapted  for  a  cottage  as  a  palace,  and  above  all  that  the  preposterous 
notion  of  grafting  on  domestic  buildings  the  distinctive  features  of  a 
church  or  a  convent,  as  had  been  the  case  at  Fonthill  and  Eaton  Hall, 
was  altogether  wrong,  and  without  precedent  in  genuine  examples. 

It  was  an  evil  inseparable  from  the  nature  of  Nash's  work  that  he  was 
guided  in  his  selection  of  subjects  solely  by  considerations  of  pictorial 
effect.  In  that  respect  his  selection  was  excellent.  But,  unfortunately  for 
the  interests  of  art,  pictorial  effect  may  be,  and  indeed  in  architecture  of 
the  seventeenth  century  frequently  was,  allied  with  unsatisfactory  design  as 
far  at  least  as  details  are  concerned.  He  illustrated  many  specimens  of 
the  Elizabethan  and  Jacobean  periods  which  possessed  sufficient  archi- 
tectural merit  to  satisfy  a  half-educated  taste,  but  which,  as  models  of 
decorative  treatment,  were  models  of  all  that  should  be  avoided.  Tares 
were  thus  sown  with  the  wheat,  and  to  this  day  it  is  difficult  to  teach 
some  people  how  to  distinguish  between  the  two  crops. 

If  the  publication  of  Nash's  c  Ancient  Mansions  '  did  good  service  to 
the  Revival  in  England,  Mr.  Robert  W.  Billings  was  hardly  less  suc- 
cessful in  drawing  the  attention  of  his  countrymen  to  Mediaeval  archi- 
tecture north  of  the  Tweed.  Until  the  appearance  of  his  c  Baronial 
and  Ecclesiastical    Antiquities   of  Scotland,'  no  illustrations  worthy  of 


240         '  The  Baronial  Antiquities  of  Scotland' 

the  name  had  recorded  the  characteristics  of  a  style  which,  whatever  its 
faults  may  be,  is  as  thoroughly  national  both  in  its  rise  and  its  decline 
as  any  that  prevailed  in  Europe  during  the  middle  ages.  The  grand 
severity  of  Borthwick  Castle,  the  picturesque  ruins  of  Craigmillar  and 
Dirleton,  the  graceful  simplicity  of  Dryburgh  Abbey,  and  the  rich  de- 
tails of  Melrose,  represent  each  in  their  several  ways  pages  in  the  history 
of  ancient  art  well  worth  the  professional  student's  examination  ;  and 
though  he  may  turn  with  disappointment  from  the  coarse  and  vitiated 
detail  of  Rosslyn  Chapel,  he  must  be  a  fastidious  critic  who  fails  to 
admire  such  noble  work  as  that  at  Pluscardine,  Iona,  and  Jedburgh. 

The  views  in  Billings'  volumes  are  neither  so  large  nor  treated  in 
such  a  pleasantly  scenic  manner  as  those  by  Nash,  but  Billings  had  the 
advantage  of  being  an  architect,  and  knew  the  value  of  correct  delinea- 
tion of  detail.  Many  of  the  studies  of  parts  are  engraved  with  much 
care  and  on  so  large  a  scale  that  they  would  be  of  practical  value  for 
reference  without  a  plan  or  section.  The  ichnography,  indeed,  of  these 
examples  the  author  did  not  supply ;  probably  because  it  would  have 
greatly  increased  the  cost  of  his  work,  without  interesting  the  majority 
of  his  subscribers,  among  whom  were  hundreds  of  unprofessional  men. 
On  the  other  hand,  each  set  of  plates  was  accompanied  by  a  short  essay, 
in  which  the  history  and  peculiarities  of  every  building  portrayed  were 
fully  described. 

Notwithstanding  the  appearance  of  these  and  other  similarly  illustrated 
books,  a  work  was  still  wanting  by  means  of  which  the  student  might 
arrive  at  more  technical  knowledge  of  Mediaeval  design,  and  especially 
with  regard  to  those  details  of  wood-work  and  internal  fittings  which 
had  hitherto  escaped  study,  but  which  were  becoming  more  and  more  in 
demand  as  the  necessity  for  completeness  and  thorough  consistency  in 
the  appointments  of  a  modern  Gothic  building  became  apparent. 

This  deficiency  was  in  course  of  time  supplied  by  the  Messrs.  Bran- 
don who,  with  infinite  pains  and  considerable  ability,  both  of  an  artistic 
and  literary  kind,  produced  in  1847   two  quarto  volumes  entitled  '  An 


u£K//rrtr.G0.sc. 


St.  John's  {R.C.)  Cathedral,  Salford,  MancJiester. 

Hadfield  aud  Weightman,  Architects,  1845. 


Brandon's  'Analysis  of  Gothic  Architecture!      241 


Analysis  of  Gothic  Architecture,'  illustrated  by  upwards  of  seven  hun- 
dred specimens  of  architectural  features  carefully  selected  from  the  best 
periods  of  ancient  work  both  ecclesiastical  and  domestic.  These  illustra- 
tions were  accompanied  by  letter-press,  in  which  the  origin  and  develop- 
ment of  window  tracery,  the  distinctive  character  of  mouldings,  of  piers, 
arches,  and  buttresses,  and  the  treatment  of  wood-work  and  metal-work, 
were  discussed.  The  comprehensive  nature  of  the  analysis,  the  skill  with 
which  the  details,  especially  of  carved  work,  are  sketched,  and  the 
thoroughly  practical  nature  of  the  information  conveyed,  soon  rendered 
this  work  popular  in  the  professional  world,  and  indeed  it  may  still 
be  considered  one  of  the  most  useful  of  its  class  which  has  issued 
from  the  press.  Without  a  genuine  knowledge  of  detail,  the  very 
alphabet  of  architectural  design  remains  unlearned.  An  ill-spelt  essay, 
an  ungrammatical  speech,  would  not  present  a  greater  anomaly  than  a 
building  in  which  the  individual  parts  indicate  a  want  of  study.  It  was 
Mr.  Raphael  Brandon's  early  and  untiring  researches  in  this  direction 
which  enabled  him  at  a  later  period  to  raise  one  of  the  grandest  and 
most  effective  modern  churches  which  have  marked  the  Revival,*  and 
though  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  minutiae  as  well  as  the  pro- 
portions of  old  work  may  have  here  and  there  betrayed  him  into  pla- 
giarism, this  was  a  venial  fault  at  a  time  when  an  architect  was  expected 
to  give  his  authority  for  every  moulding  that  he  used,  and  when  the 
completely  original  designs  which  were  produced  did  but  little  credit  to 
the  Gothic  cause  or  to  their  respective  authors. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  modern  Pointed  structures  raised  between 
1840  and  1850  were  copied  either  entirely  or  in  part  from  old  ex- 
amples, and  perhaps  it  was  the  best  thing  that  could  have  happened. 
For  with  a  few  brilliant  exceptions,  which  it  would  be  invidious  to 
name,  no  architects  of  that  day  could  have  been  trusted  to  work,  as 
many  have  since  done,  in  the  spirit  of  old  art  alone  and  without 
borrowing  largely  from  their  books  and  sketches. 

*  The  '  Apostolic  '  Church  in  Gordon  Square,  London. 

R 


242     R.  C.  Church  of  St.  John,  Salford,  Manchester. 


Among  the  instances  of  successful  adaptations  from  old  design,  the 
church  of  St.  John,  Salford,  Manchester,  by  Messrs.  Hadfield  and 
Weightman,  may  be  mentioned.  In  this  case  the  tower  and  spire  of 
Newark,  the  nave  of  Howden,  and  the  choir  of  Selby,  were  copied,  not 
absolutely  in  proportion,  but  in  detail.  The  nave,  indeed,  was  one 
bay  shorter  than  its  original,  and  certainly  did  not  gain  in  effect  by  the 
deduction  ;  but  on  the  whole  the  result  was  considered  very  satisfactory 
by  contemporary  critics,  and  especially  elicited  the  admiration  of  Pugin. 
It  was  begun  in  1S44,  and  was  opened  in  1848.  The  interior,  fitted 
up  as  it  is  for  the  service  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  with  its 
chantries  and  altar  tombs,  its  stout  piers  and  broad  transepts,  is  very 
striking.  The  nave  has  a  clerestory  and  open  timbered  roof,  the 
chancel  and  chancel  aisles  being  groined  in  wood.*  The  screens  which 
divide  the  chancel  from  its  aisle,  as  well  as  some  of  the  altars  and 
other  fittings,  were  designed  some  years  later  by  Mr.  G.  Goldie,  who 
had  then  joined  Messrs.  Hadfield  and  Weightman  in  partnership.  The 
decorative  sculpture  of  this  period,  though  refined  and  wrought  with 
extraordinary  delicacy,  as  may  be  seen  here  in  an  altar  tomb  in  the 
north  chantry,  was  treated  in  far  too  naturalistic  a  manner  for  the 
conditions  of  good  art.  For  instance,  the  Rosa  Mystica,  carved  on  a 
church  panel,  is  a  sacred  emblem,  and  should  be  an  ideal  abstraction 
of  nature.  Here  the  carver  has  literally  copied  the  flower,  leaf  for 
leaf,  with  so  unfortunately  accurate  an  eye  and  so  injudiciously  sharp 
a  chisel,  that  his  work  looks  like  a  petrified  rose.  During  the  Revival, 
it  took  a  decade  of  years  to  teach  workmen  to  carve  carefully.  It  took 
another  to  get  them  to  carve  simply.  We  may  expect  more  than  a 
third  to  elapse  before  they  have  learnt  to  carve  nobly. 

*  Although  this  fact  may  fill  the  modern  purist  with  aesthetic  horror,  it  is  not  -without 
precedent  even  in  Mediaeval  times,  and  was  certainly  more  excusable  twenty-five  years  ago 
than  now,  when  we  are  supposed  to  have  mastered  the  true  principles  of  Gothic  design. 
But  it  is  an  expedient  still  practised  ;  and  if  clients  will  insist  on  adopting  it,  what  is  the 
unfortunate  architect  to  do  ?  It  is  curious  that  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  have  been  and 
still  are  responsible  for  much  that  has  been  perpetrated  in  this  way. 


Messrs.  Hadfield  and  IVeightman.  243 

Two  other  Roman  Catholic  churches  were  erected  about  this  time 
by  Messrs.  Hadfield  and  Weightman,  viz.  at  Sheffield,  and  at  Burnley 
in  Lancashire,  each  being  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary.  The  design 
of  the  latter  was  based  on  a  study  of  Heckington  Church,  with 
certain  modifications,  the  principal  departure  from  the  plan  of  the 
original  being  the  addition  of  a  chapel  on  the  north  side  of  the  north 
aisle.  The  reredos  of  the  high  altar  was  entrusted  to  Pugin,  whose 
work  here,  it  must  be  confessed,  suffers  by  comparison  with  that  of  the 
architects  of  the  church.  The  reredos  and  side  altar  of  the  chapel,  to 
the  left  of  the  high  altar,  are  far  more  vigorously  treated,  and  there  are 
other  examples  of  decorative  sculpture  in  the  interior  which  are  ex- 
cellent both  in  taste  and  execution.  In  the  tracery  of  the  windows  a 
certain  tendency  towards  the  German  and  Belgian  schools  may  be 
noticed.  The  west  window,  supplied  by  Messrs.  Hardman  &  Co., 
from  a  design  by  Pugin,  is  very  good  for  its  date  and  indeed  superior 
to  those  put  up  at  a  later  period  by  the  same  firm.  The  masonry  of 
this  and  other  churches  erected  by  Mr.  Hadfield  exhibits  evidence  of 
an  appreciation  of  those  ' true  principles  '  of  constructive  detail  which 
were  then  more  preached  than  practised.  The  window  arches,  &.c, 
instead  of  being  turned  in  large  blocks  of  stone,  according  to  the  pre- 
vailing custom,  are  executed  in  small  and  numerous  voussoirs,  which 
give  scale  and  significance  to  the  work.  The  wall  courses,  instead  of 
being  rubbed  down  to  the  smoothness  of  paper  (a  method  of  finish  at 
once  wasteful  of  labour  and  uninteresting  in  effect),  are  left  simply 
dressed  with  the  chisel.  The  mouldings  are  delicately  and  sharply  cut, 
and  the  details  of  iron-work  in  the  screens,  &c,  are  handled  with  a 
vigour  far  in  advance  of  the  time. 

In  1845,  the  church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  was  begun  at  Liverpool 
from  the  designs  of  Mr.  J.  J.  Scoles.  In  plan  it  includes  a  nave  and 
aisles,  a  shallow  chancel,  and  a  finely -proportioned  tower  at  the  south- 
west angle.  The  nave  arcade,  of  lancet-pointed  arches,  rests  on  iron 
columns  which,  from  their  shape  and  colour,  might  almost  be  mistaken 

R  2 


244         Church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  Liverpool. 


for  marble.  The  propriety  of  using  iron  for  such  a  purpose  has  been 
much  questioned,  and  is  still  open  to  dispute ;  but  of  one  fact  there 
can  be  little  doubt,  viz.  that  if  it  is  so  used,  the  nature  of  the  material 
should  be  at  once  revealed  by  the  character  of  the  design.  The  roof 
of  the  nave  is  polygonal,  and  divided  into  panels  decorated  'with  colour. 
Without  possessing  any  ad  captandum  excellence,  this  church  is  a  very 
creditable  work  for  its  day,  though  the  effect  of  the  interior  is  greatly 
marred  by  the  unfortunate  glazing  of  the  aisle  windows.* 

The  Roman  Catholic  churches  erected  at  this  period  had  one  decided 
advantage  over  those  designed  for  the  Establishment,  viz.  in  the  rich 
treatment  of  their  interiors.  Ritualism,  it  is  true,  was  gradually  finding 
favour  among  the  Anglican  clergy,  but  as  yet  its  principal  effect  had 
been  to  ensure  a  general  orthodoxy  of  plan  and  proportion  in  the 
buildings  erected.  A  tamely-carved  reredos,  generally  arranged  in 
panels  to  hold  the  Commandments,  a  group  of  sedilia  and  a  piscina, 
with  perhaps  a  few  empty  niches  in  the  clerestory,  were,  as  a  rule, 
all  the  internal  features  which  distinguished  an  Anglican  church  from 
a  meeting-house.  The  sumptuously  sculptured  dossels,  the  marble 
altars  inlaid  with  mosaic,  the  elaborate  rood-screens  and  decorative 
painting,  which  private  munificence  has  since  provided  for  many  of  our 
national  churches,  with  the  approval  of  the  clergy  and  to  the  delight  of 
many  a  devout  congregation,  were  then  rare,  and  would,  in  nine  cases  out 
of  ten,  have  created  a  scandal,  even  among  the  supporters  of  the  Revival. 
But  no  scruples  on  this  score  prevented  the  introduction  of  such  features 
in  the  Roman  Church,  where  the  worst  innovation  that  could  be  feared 
was  an  exchange  of  good  taste  for  bad.  The  ritual  of  Rome  had  always 
aimed  at  effect,  though  her  priests  might  be  robed  in  copes  of  miser- 
able design.     Her  altars  were  meant  to  be  attractive,  though  they  were 

*  The  designs  for  the  altars,  pulpit,  and  some  other  fittings  of  this  church  were  com- 
menced by  Mr.  S.  J.  Nicholl  during  the  term  of  his  pupilage  with  Mr.  Scoles,  and  were 
at  Mr.  Scoles's  request  completed  by  him  after  that  term  had  expired.  The  Chapel  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  the  last  of  these  works,  was  finished  in  1851.  It  is  a  very  rich  example, 
carefully  designed  in  the  style  of  the  church,  but  with  considerable  originality. 


A  New  Reformation. 


245 


decked  with  tawdry  artificial  flowers.  Her  shrines  and  niches  were 
never  empty,  though  they  were  too  often  filled  with  imagery  from  the 
toy-shop.  Pugin  raised  his  voice  long  and  loudly  against  these  artistic 
heresies,  and  in  course  of  time  his  denunciations  had  their  effect.  For 
some  years  the  Church  of  Rome  went  hand  in  hand  with  the  Church 
of  England  in  a  new  and  goodly  Reformation — a  Reformation  which 
caused  no  rivalry  but  that  of  devotion,  which  involved  no  loss  but  of 
what  was  worthless,  which  pursued  no  policy  but  that  of  truth,  which 
effected  no  change  but  one  from  meanness  to  beauty,  and  from 
heartlessness  to  love. 


246 


New  Churches  in  London. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


EFORE  the  first  half  of  this  century  was  reached,  a  number 
of  new  churches  had  been  erected  in  London,  which,  in  their 
design  and  execution,  far  surpassed  the  productions  of  pre- 
vious years,  and  at  last  seemed  as  if  a  standard  of  excellence  had  been 
reached  beyond  which  it  would  be  difficult  to  proceed.  For  up  to  this 
time  the  chief  care  of  the  modern  Gothic  architect  had  been  to  imitate 
with  more  or  less  precision,  not  only  the  plan  and  arrangement,  but  the 
proportions  and  decorative  details  of  old  work.  If  he  succeeded  in  doing 
this  satisfactorily,  even  in  a  literal  copy,  the  critics  found  no  fault  with 
him.  But  any  attempt  at  the  introduction  of  an  unusual  feature — any 
departure  from  the  several  canons  of  style,  which  by  dint  of  observa- 
tion, sketches,  and  measurement  had  been  arrived  at  by  the  antiquarian, 
and  enunciated  by  the  Camden  Society,  would  have  been  regarded  as 
heretical,  and  forthwith  condemned. 

And  in  truth,  at  that  period  the  only  safety  from  error  lay  in  absolute 
respect  for  ancient  precedent.  Those  luckless  designers  who  tried  to 
emancipate  themselves  from  that  authority,  and  to  strike  out  in  a  new 
independent  line  of  taste,  only  brought  ridicule  on  their  heads  by  the 
crudity  and  clumsiness  of  their  work.  It  was  easy  to  argue  that  old  art 
was  a  dead  letter :  that  the  requirements  of  modern  life,  the  conditions 
of  modern  religion,  and  the  sentiment  of  modern  taste,  pointed  one  and 
all  to  the  necessity  for  a  change  of  style,  or  to  the  freest  possible  inter- 
pretation of  old  styles,  both  in  our  churches  and  our  homes.  But  when 
our  art-reformers  consolidated  their  ideas  in  brick  and  stone,  the  ques- 
tion became  no  longer    one  of  style,  but  of   taste,  and  no  educated 


Church  of  S.  Stephen,  Westminster, 
B.  Ferry,  F.S.A.,  Architect,  1S46. 


St.  Andrew's  Church,  I  Tel  Is  Street.  247 


taste  could  have  approved  the  result  of  their  experiments.  The  last 
twenty  years  have  seen  more  than  one  divergence  in  the  progress  of  our 
National  Architecture.  Those  who  follow  it  as  a  profession  are  no 
longer  content  to  make  slavish  copies  of  old  work,  but  one  fact  must 
be  admitted,  viz.  that  whenever  a  good  and  decidedly  original  design 
has  been  executed,  it  has  been  by  those  who  at  some  period  of  their 
lives  studied  closely  from  ancient  examples,  and  whenever  a  mean  or 
commonplace  (though  equally  original)  building  has  been  planned,  it  has 
been  by  some  one  who  never  considered  such  study  worth  the  trouble. 

The  Church  of  St.  Andrew,  in  Wells  Street,  London,  designed  by 
Mr.  Daukes,  and  consecrated  in  1847,  deserved  and  obtained  great 
credit  for  the  ingenuity  with  which  the  architect  managed  to  deal  with  a 
very  awkward  site,  irregular  in  shape,  bounded  on  the  north  and  south 
by  houses,  and  on  the  east  by  a  mews.  The  selection  of  so  late  a 
type  of  Gothic,  was  a  mistake  ;  and  the  introduction  of  galleries  an  un- 
fortunate necessity.  But  the  west  front,  with  its  engaged  tower,  standing 
at  an  odd  angle  with  the  line  of  the  street,  is  picturesque,  and  internally 
the  arrangements  of  the  chancel,  with  its  stalls,  sedilia,  and  raised  sacra- 
rium,  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  High  Church  party,  by  whom  the 
building  was  long  regarded  as  a  model  of  orthodoxy  until  its  more 
famous  rival  All  Saints'  was  raised  in  the  adjoining  street.* 

Meanwhile,  Miss  Burdett  Coutts,  to  whose  well-directed  liberalitv 
many  an  English  Church  is  indebted,  had  commissioned  Mr.  B.  Ferrey 
to  design  and  erect  the  Church  of  St.  Stephen,  at  Westminster,  on  a 
site  where  it  was  much  needed,  viz.  at  the  corner  of  Rochester  Row, 
surrounded  by  houses  of  the  poorest  description.  The  denizens  of  Tot- 
hill  Fields,  and  the  Westminster  Scholars  who  came  to  play  cricket 
in  Vincent  Square,  saw,  with  mingled  pleasure  and  surprise,  a  tower 
and  stone  spire  rising  to  a  prodigious  height  from  the  east  end  of  the 
north   aisle.      The  critics   pronounced  the   spire  too  attenuated,  even 

*  The  interior  of  St.  Andrew's  Church  has  since  undergone  considerable  additions, 
under  the  able  direction  of  Mr.  G.  E.  Street,  R.A. 


248  Sf.  Stephen  s  Church,  Westminster. 

for  its  style  (Middle  Pointed),  but  approved  the  small  courses  of  stone 
which  were  used  for  the  masonry  below,  and  confessed  the  knowledge 
of  detail  which  the  porches  and  window  tracery  exhibited.*  By  and  by 
the  church  was  opened,  revealing  treasures  of  carving  in  stone  and 
wood,  encaustic  tiles,  and  stained  glass— not  indeed  of  that  quality 
which  would  now  be  accepted  as  satisfactory,  but  certainly  as  good  as 
could  then  be  obtained.  The  walls  are  plastered  internally,  but  the 
plaster  is  stopped,  as  it  should  be,  at  the  window  quoins.  The  pulpit 
is  original  in  design,  and  the  mouldings  throughout  the  church  delicate 
and  refined.  An  open-timbered  roof,  very  good  in  style,  covers  the  lofty 
nave,  while  that  of  the  chancel  is  polygonal  and  panelled.  Here,  then, 
we  have  two  metropolitan  churches,  one  Perpendicular  and  the  other 
Decorated  in  design,  representing  a  steady  advance  in  the  character  of 
Modern  Gothic.  A  third  example  may  be  mentioned  in  which  the 
style  adopted  was  Early  English,  and  which  from  various  causes  has 
since  attained  a  celebrity  quite  apart  from  its  architectural  merit, 
although  that  was  not  inconsiderable. 

The  Church,  Parsonage,  and  Schools  of  St.  Barnabas,  Pimlico, 
designed  by  Mr.  T.  Cundy,  were  erected  at  a  time  when  every  step 
forward  in  the  direction  of  Ritualism  was  persistently  opposed  by  the 
ultra- Protestant  party — when  the  furniture  and  fittings  of  a  chancel 
were  considered  proof-positive  of  Popery,  and  when  every  clergyman 
who  preached  in  a  surplice  was  suspected  of  being  a  Jesuit  in  disguise. 
It  was,  therefore,  with  astonishment  and  dismay  that  certain  good  folks 
who  had  the  curiosity  to  examine  this  church  shortly  after  its  com- 
pletion, found  a  chancel  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  building  by  a 
screen  and  parcloses,  fitted  with  a  stone  altar  and  reredos,  stalls  and 
miserere-seats,  sedilia  and  recessed  credence,  the  floor  rich  in  encaustic 
tiles,  and  the  walls  glowing  with  coloured  diapers,  while  a  corona  of 
beaten  metal  and  glass  bosses  depended  from  the  panelled  roof.     They 

*  The   schools  attached  to  this   church  were  opened   before  its  completion,  and  are 
excellent  examples  of  Domestic  Pointed  work. 


Church  of  St.  Barnabas,  Pimlico.  249 

turned  from  the  brass  lectern  to  the  marble  pulpit,  from  the  stained 
glass  windows  to  the  Latin  texts  which  ran  round  the  arches  in  mys- 
terious characters,  and  asked  themselves  whether  in  sober  earnest  the 
Church  of  England  could  have  come  to  such  a  pass  as  this. 

Externally,  even  the  house  and  schools  were  viewed  askance,  for 
the  windows  were  narrow  and  pointed,  and  to  the  uninitiated  the  whole 
building  looked  like  a  convent.  Convents  were  popularly  supposed 
to  be  dreadful  places.  Some  young  ladies,  no  doubt,  were  scandalised 
at  the  notion ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  there  were  not  a  few  in 
Pimlico  for  whom  the  life  of  a  nun  had  no  great  attractions. 

The  architect  who  could  regard  the  building  without  prejudice,  and 
from  a  purely  professional  point  of  view,  saw  with  some  interest  a  type 
of  Gothic  hitherto  neglected  in  the  Revival  (for  the  so-called  Early 
English  buildings  had  been  but  meagre  travesties  of  that  style)  adapted 
not  only  to  a  church  and  parochial  schools,  but  to  a  modern  dwelling- 
house.  The  Domestic  Architecture  of  the  Revival  has  since  passed 
through  many  phases,  ranging  from  ancient  Venetian  to  cockney  verna- 
cular ;  but  the  St.  Barnabas  Parsonage  was  probably  the  first  instance 
in  which  a  Victorian  drawing-room  received  its  light  from  a  lancet 
window. 

The  church  itself  was  destined  to  become,  as  time  went  on,  the  cause, 
if  not  the  actual  scene,  of  ecclesiastical  strifes  and  disputes,  which, 
though  unfortunately  associated  with  the  history  of  the  Revival,  will 
find  no  record  in  these  pages — strifes  in  which  bigotry  has  sometimes 
been  mistaken  for  zeal,  and  ignorant  prejudice  for  conscientious 
scruple  ;  disputes  which,  if  prolonged  till  Doomsday,  will  never  be 
settled  except  by  the  mutual  concession  that  in  spiritual,  as  well  as 
worldly  matters,  there  may  be  two  ways  of  attaining  the  same  end. 

In  1849,  ^e  foundations  of  two  more  London  churches  were  laid, 
which,  apart  from  their  merits  considered  respectively  as  works  of  art, 
are  interesting  as  evidence  of  a  decided  change  in  the  development  of  the 
Revival.      Hitherto,  Mr.  Butterfield  and  the  late  Mr.  Carpenter  may 


250    Church  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  Minister  Square. 


be  said  in  many  respects  to  have  occupied  common  ground  in  the  field 
of  design.  Both  had  formed  their  taste  by  a  careful  study  of  old 
examples.  Both  exhibited  an  apparent  preference  for  the  c  Middle 
Pointed  '  period.  Both  had  up  to  this  time  carefully  avoided  incon- 
gruities of  style  and  that  restless  striving  after  effect,  at  the  sacrifice  of 
dignity,  which  has  been  the  bane  of  Modern  Gothic.  The  works  of 
each,  in  short,  were  thoughtful,  refined  and  scholarlike. 

Of  Mr.  Carpenter's  Church,  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  close  to  Munster 
Square,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  no  contemporary  structure  raised 
in  London,  of  its  class  and  size,  surpassed,  or  even  approached,  it  in 
excellence.  There  is  a  simple  grace  in  its  proportions — a  modest 
reticence  (if  one  may  use  such  an  expression  in  architectural  criticism) 
about  the  treatment  of  its  decorative  features  that  distinguishes  it,  on  the 
one  hand,  from  the  cold  expressionless  Gothic  which  then  passed  for 
orthodox,  and  on  the  other  from  the  rampant  extravagance  of  treatment 
which  has  occasionally  found  favour  in  later  days.  This  "church  was 
originally  designed  with  two  aisles,  but  that  in  the  south  side  only  was 
built.  To  this  accident,  and  the  fact  that  chairs  instead  of  benches  are 
used  for  the  congregation,  perhaps  the  unconventional  aspect  of  the 
interior  is  due  ;  but  an  examination  of  the  mouldings  and  other  details 
will  show  how  carefully  every  part  was  studied.  There  are  few  modern 
churches  of  which  the  interior  may  be  called  truly  pictorial,  but  in  this 
one  twenty  years  have  helped  to  mellow  the  local  colour  of  its  walls  ; 
and  under  certain  conditions  of  sunset,  with  the  light  streaming  through 
the  west  windows,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  church  in  gloom,  the  effect  is 
very  fine. 

St.  Mary  Magdalene's  was  perhaps  the  last  church  of  any  note  erected 
in  London  before  the  Revival  became  sensibly,  though  by  no  means 
universally,  affected  bv  certain  new  doctrines  of  taste  in  architecture 
— doctrines  which  were  proclaimed  from  an  unexpected  source,  and 
which  at  one  time  bade  fair  to  revolutionise  and  reform  those  very  prin- 
ciples of  design  that  Pugin  had  recently  laid  down  with  so  much  care. 


Proposed  Erection  of  a  Model  Church.  251 

It  had  long  been  a  project  of  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society  to 
found  a  model  church,  which  should  realise  in  its  design  and  internal 
arrangements  a  beau  ideal  of  architectural  beauty,  and  fulfil  at  the  same 
time  the  requirements  of  orthodox  ritual.  Some  years  after  the 
Society  was  transferred  to  London,  an  opportunity  presented  itself  for 
the  execution  of  this  scheme.  The  late  incumbent  of  Margaret  Street 
Chapel,  in  the  parish  of  All  Souls  (of  which  Dean  Chandler  was  then 
rector),  had  conceived  the  idea  of  rebuilding  the  chapel  in  what  (for 
that  day)  would  have  been  a  correct  ecclesiastical  style,  and  for  this 
purpose  a  sum  amounting  to  nearly  3,000/.  had  been  collected.  On 
Mr.  Oakley's  secession  to  the  Church  of  Rome  he  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  W.  Upton  Richards,  by  whom  the  undertaking  was  still  fostered. 
In  1845  it  occurred  to  Mr.  Beresford  Hope  that  the  two  schemes 
might  be  combined  with  advantage,  both  to  the  Margaret  Chapel  con- 
gregation and  to  the  supporters  of  the  Cambridge  Camden  Society. 
This  proposal  was  well  received  both  by  the  Dean  and  Mr.  Richards, 
and,  having  been  submitted  to  Bishop  Blomfield,  met  with  his  ready 
approval.  It  was  arranged  that  the  architectural  and  ecclesiological 
control  of  the  project  should  be  vested  entirely  in  the  Cambridge 
Camden  Society,  bv  whom  Sir  Stephen  Glynne  and  Mr.  Beresford 
Hope  were  appointed  as  the  executive.  The  avocations  of  the  former 
gentleman,  however,  prevented  him  from  taking  an  active  part  in  the 
matter,  and  thus  the  main  responsibility  devolved  on  Mr.  Hope. 
Mr.  Butterfield  was  selected  as  the  architect,  and  the  next  question 
considered  was  the  choice  of  site. 

In  many  parts  of  London  this  would  have  presented  no  difficulty, 
but  the  congregation  of  the  old  Chapel  naturally  showed  their  pre- 
ference for  Margaret  Street,  and  there,  after  many  obstacles  in  the  way 
of  negotiation,  and  not  without  reluctance  on  Mr.  Hope's  part,  a  piece 
of  ground  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  14,500/.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  feelings  of  sentiment  were  allowed  to  prevail  over  practical  con- 
siderations in  coming  to  this  conclusion,  for  the  site  was  confessedly 


252  All  Saints  Church,  Margaret  Street. 

disadvantageous  in  regard  to  light,  a  point  which  in  a  model  town 
church  should  not  have  been  disregarded.  However,  in  1849,  tne 
work  was  fairly  begun,  the  foundation  stone  having  been  laid  by 
Dr.  Pusey,  and  the  building  dedicated  to  All  Saints. 

The  generous  liberality  with  which  the  scheme  was  supported 
shows  the  great  interest  felt  in  its  development  by  modern  Churchmen, 
and  affords  a  striking  contrast  to  the  niggardly  thrift  which  the  pre- 
vious generation  had  shown  in  matters  ecclesiastical.  Among  the 
subscriptions  placed  at  Mr.  Beresford  Hope's  disposal  in  aid  of  the 
object  was  the  munificent  sum  of  30,000/.,  contributed  by  Mr.  H. 
Tritton  ;  Mr.  Lancaster  gave  4,000/.  The  cost  of  the  baptistery  at 
All  Saints  was  defrayed  by  the  Marquis  of  Sligo,  and  many  other 
instances  of  private  generosity  might  be  quoted.  Altogether,  the 
church,  including  the  site  and  endowment,  cost  about  70,000/. 

Whether  Mr.  Butterfield's  design  for  All  Saints'  Church  was  or  was 
not  influenced  by  the  theories  enunciated  in  the  '  Seven  Lamps  of 
Architecture,'  it  is  certain  that  the  building  itself,  as  it  was  gradually 
raised,  and  still  more  when  it  came  to  be  decorated,  revealed  a  ten- 
dency to  depart  from  ancient  precedent  in  many  important  particulars. 
In  the  first  place,  the  use  of  red  brick  for  the  external  walls  was  a 
novelty,  brick  having  been  hitherto  only  used  for  the  cheap  churches, 
while  in  this  case  the  very  quality  of  the  brick  used  made  it  more 
expensive  than  stone.  Again,  the  tower  and  spire  were  of  a  shape  and 
proportions  which  puzzled  the  antiquaries,  scandalised  the  architects, 
and  sent  unprofessional  critics  to  their  wit's  end  with  amazement. 
Passers-by  gazed  at  the  iron-work  of  the  entrance  gateway,  at  the 
gables  and  dormers  of  the  parsonage,  at  the  black  brick  voussoirs  and 
stringcourses,  and  asked  what  manner  of  architecture  this  might  be, 
which  was  neither  Early  English,  Decorated,  nor  Tudor,  and  which 
could  be  properly  referred  to  no  century  except  the  nineteenth. 

Internally,  it  is  true,  they  found  much  to  admire  in  the  beauty  of 
the  materials  used  ;  in  the  marble,  alabaster,  and  coloured  brick,  in  the 


Criticism  of  Mr.  Butterfield's  J I "or/:.  253 


fresco  paintings,  delicate  carving,  and  brilliant  glass.  But  the  treat- 
ment of  all  was  so  novel  and  eccentric,  the  proportions  so  unusual,  the 
application  of  colour  was  so  strange,  that  people  of  taste  could  not 
make  up  their  minds  whether  they  ought  to  like  it  or  not  ;  while  with 
people  who  did  not  pretend  to  a  taste  it  was  decidedly  out  of  favour. 
Undoubtedly  the  work  is  not  without  its  faults,  but  they  are  precisely 
those  faults  which  do  not  present  themselves  to  an  uneducated  eye. 
The  tendency  of  a  superficial  critic,  as  a  rule,  is  to  sneer  at  every 
specimen  of  modern  art  that  departs  in  any  marked  degree  from  a 
conventional  standard  ;  to  ignore  the  specific  conditions  which  regulate 
design  ;  to  prefer  obvious  and  commonplace  prettiness  to  the  nobler 
but  more  subtle  beauties  of  proportion  and  refinement,  and  restless 
elaboration  to  sober  dignity  of  effect.  For  instance,  without  neces- 
sarily approving  the  outline  of  the  spire  at  All  Saints',  it  is  easy  to 
perceive  that  much  of  the  disparagement  which  it  elicited  was  founded 
on  an  ignorance  of  its  wooden  construction.  People  involuntarily  com- 
pared it  with  the  ordinary  type  of  stone  spire  which  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  see  in  English  churches,  and  could  not  understand  why 
it  was  not  broached  in  the  usual  way,  or  surrounded  with  a  parapet  at 
its  base.  Again,  the  interior  of  the  church  was  pronounced  too  high 
for  its  width.  There  was  no  east  window;  and  there  were  no  windows 
in  the  north  aisles.  But  all  these  peculiarities  were  the  inevitable 
result  of  the  site,  for  the  choice  of  which  the  architect  could  not  be 
held  responsible.  Objections  were  raised  to  the  character  of  the 
carving  and  of  the  metal-work,  but  no  better  reason  could  be  given 
for  these  objections  than  that  nothing  of  precisely  the  same  kind  had 
been  seen  before. 

The  truth  is  that  the  design  was  a  bold  and  magnificent  endeavour 
to  shake  off  the  trammels  of  antiquarian  precedent,  which  had  long 
fettered  the  progress  of  the  Revival,  to  create  not  a  new  style,  but  a 
development  of  previous  styles  ;  to  carry  the  enrichment  of  eccle- 
siastical Gothic  to  an  extent  which  even  in  the   Middle  Ages  had   been 


254 


Decoration  of  All  Saints  Church. 


rare  in  England  ;  to  add  the  colour  of  natural  material  to  pictorial 
decoration  ;  to  let  marbles  and  mosaic  take  the  place  of  stone  and 
plaster ;  to  adorn  the  walls  with  surface  ornament  of  an  enduring 
kind;  to  spare,  in  short,  neither  skill,  nor  pains,  nor  cost  in  making  this 
church  the  model  church  of  its  day — such  a  building  as  should  take  a 
notable  position  in  the  history  of  modern  architecture. 

If  Mr.  Butterfleld  had  been  a 
man  of  less  cultivated  taste,  or  if 
he  had  had  more  funds  at  his  dis- 
posal for  this  purpose,  the  experi- 
ment might  have  proved  a  failure 
— in  the  former  case,  because  the 
numerous  instances  which  we  have 
since  seen  of  f  original '  Gothic, 
prove  how  few  are  yet  to  be 
trusted  with  the  license  in  design 
which  he  took ;  and  in  the  latter 
case,  because  there  is  evidence, 
even  at  All  Saints',  that  the  secret 
of  knowing  where  to  stop  in 
decorative  work  had  still  to  be 
acquired.  The  multiplicity  of 
line  patterns*  on  the  walls  of  this 
church,  and  the  elaboration  of 
ornament,  generally  make  it  a 
matter  of  regret  that  there  are  no 
broad  surfaces  of  wall  on  which 
the  eye  can  rest  unoccupied. 
Frescoes,  marbles,  geometrical 
patterns,  carving,  mosaics,  stained  glass,  gilding,  dazzle  it  by  their  close 
association,  and  even  trench  on  each  other's  claim  to  attention.   It  seems  a 


\A      J.KMRSC 


*  For  the  most  part  incised  on  the  ashlar  and  filled  in  with  coloured  mastic. 


Yealmpton  Church,  Devonshire.  255 


commonplace  truism  now  to  sav  that  veined  marble  should  not  be  carved, 
vet  this  was  permitted  in  the  alabaster  capitals.  The  work,  is  excellent, 
the  material  lovely,  but  the  sculptor's  chisel  and  nature's  colour-brush 
are  ill-assorted.  Again,  the  treatment  of  the  nave  arcade  suggests  an 
inlay  of  bricks  in  a  marble  arch,  as  if  the  more  precious  material  were 
employed  as  a  setting  for  the  commoner  one,  which  is  unsatisfactory. 
I  low  far  the  architect  foresaw  or  was  responsible  for  the  effect  of  the 
stained  glass  windows  may  be  doubtful,  but  as  a  simple  question  of  poly- 
chromv,  the  flood  of  green  and  yellow  light  which  streams  in  from  the 
west  window  is  out  of  key  with  the  colour  of  the  walls,  and  widely 
removed  from  the  rich  mellow  tones  of  old  glass,  in  which  the  brightest 
hues  are  employed  so  sparingly  that  they  sparkle  like  jewels.  These 
remarks  are  merely  typical  of  objections  raised  at  the  time  on  the  sub- 
ject of  this  work,  and  would  not  be  made  here  but  as  some  qualifica- 
tion of  the  praise  to  which  Mr.  Butterfield  is  justly  entitled  for  this 
otherwise  magnificent  work.  None  but  those  who  have  examined  it 
with  attention  can  appreciate  the  masterly  skill  with  which  every  pro- 
portion has  been  studied,  or  the  loving  care  which  has  been  bestowed 
on  the  minutest  detail.  Ten  years  elapsed  during  its  completion,  and 
long  before  the  church  was  consecrated  a  change  had  taken  place  in 
the  current  of  public  taste,  as  will  presently  be  shown. 

Meanwhile,  Mr.  Butterfield  had  accepted  and  in  many  instances 
executed  other  commissions.  Among  these  was  the  rebuilding  of  the 
parish  church  of  Yealmpton,  in  Devonshire,  undertaken  at  the  cost  of 
the  late  Mr.  Bastard,  of  Kitley.*  This  was  probably  the  first  rural 
structure  of  its  class  in  which  decoration  was  introduced  by  the  employ- 
ment of  natural  colour.      The  chancel  screen   (about  four  feet  high)  is 

*  This  amiable  and  accomplished  gentleman  was  a  sincere  admirer  of  Mediasval  archi- 
tecture, the  principles  of  which  he  had  well  studied.  Soon  after  the  completion  of  the 
church,  lie  joined  the  Romish  communion,  and  built  a  chapel  for  the  Roman  Catholic  poor 
of  the  neignbourhood.  At  his  death,  however,  which  followed  soon  after,  it  ceased  to  be 
supported,  and  is  now  used  as  a  parish  school. 


256  Abbey  Mere,  Plymouth. 


of  Devonshire  marble.  The  nave  piers  are  of  the  same  material, 
arranged  in  alternate  courses  (light  grey  and  dark  veined).  A  narrow 
label  of  marble  inlay  is  also  carried  round  the  aisle  walls  and  over  the 
windows  in  a  trefoiled  form  with  discs  (intended  for  lettering)  in  the 
spandrils.  This  label  and  the  treatment  of  the  chancel  arch  are  peculiar 
and  not  very  satisfactory  features  in  the  church,  which,  however,  in  other 
respects  is  designed  with  a  great  sense  of  beauty  both  in  proportions  and 
detail.  As  an  example  of  Domestic  architecture  in  the  same  county 
and  by  the  same  architect,  the  Anglican  Conventual  Establishment  of 
1  Abbey  Mere,'  near  Plymouth,  may  be  mentioned.  This  is  an 
unfinished  but  picturesque  pile  of  buildings.  Seen  from  across  the 
Stonehouse  Lake,  on  rising  ground,  with  its  walls  divided  into  heights 
of  two  or  three  stories  as  occasion  required,  breaking  out  occasionally 
into  an  octagonal  bay,  or  sweeping  round  in  an  apselike  curve,  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  high-pitched  roof  of  slate,  it  forms  an  admirable  group. 
The  cold  grey  limestone,  which  is  the  building  material  of  this  district,  is 
generally  a  dull  and  formal  one  for  local  masonry  ;  but  Mr.  BuLterfield, 
by  breaking  it  up  into  irregular  courses,  has  given  it  life  and  interest. 
Internally,  the  plan,  though  probably  added  to  from  time  to  time,  seems 
excellently  adapted  for  its  purpose,  and  possesses  the  rare  quality  in 
modern  Gothic  of  being  thoroughly  practical  and  straightforward  in  its 
arrangement. 

At  Leeds,  Huddersfield,  Eton,  Sheen,  Wykeham,  Milton  (near 
Adderbury),  and  Braisfield  in  Hampshire,  churches,  and  in  some  cases 
parsonages,  were  built  by  Mr.  Butterfield.  In  London  he  reaped  more 
laurels  by  the  erection  of  St.  Matthias,  at  Stoke  Newington,  where  the 
c  saddle-back  '  roof  of  the  square  tower  was  a  novelty  in  ecclesiastical 
design.  The  same  feature  was  introduced  over  the  belfry  of  St.  Alban's, 
Holborn,  one  of  the  most  perfect  and  interesting  examples  of  the 
architect's  skill,  which,  through  the  munificent  liberality  of  Mr.  Hubbard, 
was  raised  in  one  of  the  poorest  metropolitan  districts,  where  it  was 
much  wanted.     It  is  especially  characteristic  of  Mr.  Butterfield's  design 


Belfry  of  S.  A /ban's  Church,  London. 

II'.  ButterMd,  Architect,  1858. 


SI.  Albans  C  liurch,  Holborn.  257 


that  he  aims  at  originality  not  only  in  the  form  but  in  the  relative  pro- 
portion of  parts.  Thus  in  St.  Alban's  the  first  thing  that  strikes  one  on 
entering  is  the  extreme  width  of  the  nave  as  compared  with  the  aisles, 
and  the  great  height  of  the  nave  as  compared  with  its  width.  This 
indeed  is  the  secret  of  the  striking  and  picturesque  character  which  dis- 
tinguishes his  works  from  others  which  are  less  daring  in  conception 
and  therefore  less  liable  to  mistakes.  Mr.  Butterfield  has  been  the 
leader  of  a  school,  and  it  is  necessary  for  a  leader  to  be  bold. 

Over  the  chancel  arch  and  in  the  space  included  between  it  and  the 
roof  above,  the  wall  is  enriched  with  ornamental  brickwork  arranged  in 
diaper  patterns  which  are  intersected  here  and  there  by  circular  panels 
filled  with  the  same  material.  These  panels  are  disposed,  apparently, 
without  the  slightest  reference  to  the  outline  of  the  arch  below,  which 
indeed  intersects  them  abruptly  as  if  it  had  been  cut  through  the  wall 
at  random.  Here  then  is  an  excellent  illustration  of  what  some  of  Mr. 
Butterfield's  critics  called  his  culpable  eccentricity  of  taste.  How  easy 
it  would  have  been,  they  argued,  to  adapt  this  ornamental  brickwork 
to  the  space  for  which  it  is  intended — to  map  out  the  patterns  so  as  to 
look  as  if  they  had  been  intended  for  this  particular  piece  of  wall  and 
no  other,  and  let  the  bounding  lines  of  construction  regulate  and  deter- 
mine the  nature  of  the  patterns  within  ! 

This  is  indeed  precisely  what  an  ordinary  architect  would  have  done. 
But  does  nature  decorate  after  this  fashion  ?  The  ablest  art-critic  of 
our  own  day  has  deftly  pointed  out  that  the  variegations  of  colour 
on  the  skins  of  beasts  and  the  plumage  of  birds  have  little  or  no  relation 
with  the  forms  which  they  adorn.  And  if  this  be  considered  a  far- 
fetched authority,  we  have  only  to  remember  the  extraordinary  success 
of  Japanese  decoration,  where  symmetry  (as  we  moderns  understand 
the  word)  and  what  may  be  called  the  methodism  of  ornament  are  utterly 
discarded,  and  with  so  admirable  a  result  that  the  highest  grace  of 
European  manufacture  in  an  artistic  sense  sinks  into  insignificance 
beside  it. 

s 


258 


Details  of  St.  Albaris  Church. 


With  a  designer  of  such  genius  and  originality  as  Mr.  Butterfield,  it 
is  difficult  to  estimate  how  much  of  his  departure  from  accepted  con- 
ventionalities of  form  and  arrangement  is  due  to  conviction  and  how 
much  to  accident.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  how  an  architect  wtfh  a 
keen  sense  of  beauty  and  fitness  could  have  tolerated  so  unfortunate  a 
distribution  of  lines  as  that  which  occurs  in  the  central  portion  of  the 
reredos  at  St.  Alban's,  or  have  adopted  such  an  unconstructivc  type 
of  corbel  as  that  which  supports  the  engaged  shafts  of  the  clerestory. 

Yet  the  mouldings  of  the  nave 
arcade  are  modelled  with  singular 
felicity,  and  the  mural  arcuation 
of  the  aisles  is  treated  with  con- 
summate skill. 

In  examining   the  character  of 
this    architect's    work     here    and 
elsewhere  one  can  scarcely  avoid 
the  conclusion  that    the    guiding 
principle  of  his  taste  is  rooted  in 
a    determination    to    be  singular. 
And  on  this  principle  he  acts  at 
any  sacrifice,  whether  of  tradition,  convenience,  or  grace.    Architectural 
features  which  it  is  the  fashion  to  elaborate  he  reduces  to  the  severest 
and  most  archaic  forms.     On    comparatively    unimportant  details   he 
frequently  lavishes  his  fondest  care.      He  aims  at  grandeur  and  effect 
when    most    designers    are    content    with    simplicity.     Yet    he    has 
nothing  in  common  with    that    school   whose   chief  aim   is    to    make 
their    buildings  picturesque.     In   this    respect  he    presents    a    marked 
contrast   to    Pugin,  and  a  still   greater  contrast  to  those  who,  taking 
up  Gothic   Art   where   Pugin  left   it,   have  endeavoured   to   improve 
upon  his  design — not  by  a   wider   range  of  study  but  by  a   freer  exer- 
cise of  license. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  matter  of  detail  in  the  treatment  of  which  Butter- 


j£mi  t  sf.ea  se 


Mr.  Butterfield  's  Iron-work. 


259 


field  has  displayed  more  originality  than  decorative  iron-work.  Thirty 
years  ago  one  might  have  safely  predicted  the  type  of  railing  which 
would  enclose  the  sacrarium  of  a  new  church.  The  lock-escutcheons 
and  hinge-fronts  which  ornamented  the  entrance  door  were  sure  to  be 
designed  on  one  of  a  dozen  patterns.  The  gas- standards,  corona;, 
and  other  metal  fittings  might  be  found  portrayed  in  the  Mediasvai 
ironmongers'  advertisements. 

Butterfield's  iron-work  was  almost  from  the  first  original.  In  All 
Saints'  and  afterwards  in  St.  Alban's 
Church  he  adopted  for  his  screens  that 
strap-like  treatment  of  foliation,  which 
was  then  a  novelty  in  the  Revival,  but 
which  is  not  without  precedent  and  is 
unquestionably  justified  by  the  nature 
of  the  material  used. 

It  has  been  observed,  and  with 
some  truth,  that  in  the  embellishment 
of  his  churches  Mr.  Butterfield  has  in- 
troduced but  little  sculpture  and  shows 
a  decided  preference  for  pictorial  de- 
coration. This  is  so  far  true  that 
in  both  his  principal  London  build- 
ings, viz.  All  Saints'  and  St.  Albans', 
we  find  little  or  no  figure-carving 
while  the  chancels  in  each  case  are 
resplendent  with  colour.  Without 
attempting  to  divine  the  precise  cause 
of  this  peculiarity,  it  is  not  unrea- 
sonable to  assume  that  it  is  due  in  some  measure  to  the  general  difficulty 
which  architects  have  found  in  getting  decorative  sculpture  satisfactorily 
executed.  There  is  no  want  of  manipulative  skill,  or  of  imitative 
ability,  but  from  some  cause  or  another  there  is  a  great  want  of  spirit, 

s  1 


■ 


260  Decorative  Sculpture  and  Painting. 


in  the  present  carver's  work.      The  Mediaeval   sculptor,  with   half  the 
care  and  less  than  half  the  finish  now  bestowed  on  such  details,  managed 
to  throw  life  and  vigour  into  the  capitals  and  panel  subjects  which  grew 
beneath  his  chisel.      The  '  angel  choir  '  at  Lincoln  is  rudely  executed 
compared  with  many  a  modern  bas-relief,  but  the  features  of  the  winged 
minstrels  are  radiant   with   celestial    happiness.       There  are  figures  of 
kings  crumbling  into  dust  in    the   niches  of  Exeter   Cathedral  which 
retain   even  now    a  dignity    of   attitude    and    lordly    grace    which   no 
1  restoration  '    is  likely  to  revive.      Our  nineteenth  century  angels  look 
like  demure  Bible-readers,  somewhat  too  conscious  of  their  piety  to 
be   interesting.      Our  nineteenth  century  monarchs  seem    (in  stone  at 
least)  very  well-to-do  pleasant  gentlemen,  but  are  scarcely  of  an  heroic 
type.     The  roses  and  lilies,  the  maple  foliage  and  forked  spleenwort, 
with    which  we  crown  our  pillars  or  deck  our  cornices,  are   cut    with 
wonderful  precision  and  neatness,  but  somehow  they  miss  the  charm  of 
old-world  handicraft.     And  as  we  examine  the  corbels  and  subsell<e  of 
a  subscription  church — features  which  in  days  of  yore  revealed  after  a 
grotesque    fashion  the    sins  and   frailties  of  humanity,  we    shall    now 
find  no  uglier  record  than  of  art's  decline,  and  if  we  blush  it  will  not  be 
at  the  indelicacy  of  the  subject  but  for  the  incapacity  of  the  workman. 
The  frescoes  executed  by  Mr.  Dyce  for  the  chancel  of  All  Saints'  differ 
so  essentially  in  motive  and  sentiment  from  the  water-glass  paintings 
designed  by   Mr.  Le   Strange  at  St.  Alban's  that   they  can  hardly  be 
compared.     The  former  were  begun  at  a  time  when  the  German  heilige 
school  was  generally  considered  the  best  model  of  taste  in  decoration, 
and  though  Mr.  Dyce  invested  his  figures  with  a  grace  of  colour  and 
arrangement  which  was  all  his  own,  there  is  a  certain  tendency  to  acade- 
micism and  over-refinement  of  handling  in  his  work  that  is  somewhat 
out  of  keeping  with  the  architecture  of  the  church. 

Mr.  Le  Strange  went  into  the  opposite  extreme.  He  had  on  the 
east  wall  of  St.  Alban's  chancel  to  deal  with  ten  large  panels,  separated 
from  each  other  by  narrow  slabs  of  alabaster.      This  he  filled  with   ten 


Balliol  College  Chapel . 
//'.     ButterMd,     Architect,     1S5G. 


Chapel  of  Balliol  College,  Oxford.  261 

paintings  representing  incidents  in  the  life  of  Our  Lord — treated,  so 
far  as  the  style  of  drawing  is  concerned,  after  a  thoroughly  archaic 
fashion — surrounding  each  with  a  broad  border  of  colour,  on  which, 
however,  the  figures  intrude  so  much  as  to  leave  the  spectator  in  some 
doubt  as  to  which  is  border  and  which  is  background.  The  effect  was 
a  little  glaring  at  first,  but  time  and  London  smoke  have  considerablv 
toned  down  the  hues,  which  at  present  are  not  inharmonious. 

How  much  Mr.  Butterfleld  values  the  aid  of  colour,  even  for  the 
exterior  of  his  buildings,  may  be  noticed  in  the  Chapel  of  Balliol 
College,  Oxford,  where  the  admixture  of  grey  and  purple  tiles  in  the 
roof,  and  the  introduction  of  bands  of  reddish  stone  in  the  main  body 
of  the  walls,  add  singular  grace  to  the  design.  The  interior  of  this 
chapel  is  wonderfully  effective,  and  rendered  more  so  no  doubt  by  the 
fact  that  some  old  stained  glass  of  the  former  building  has  been  re- 
inserted in  windows  on  the  north  side.  The  design  of  the  roof  is 
simple  to  severity — plain  rafters  (with  plaster  between)  being  used 
over  the  body  of  the  chapel,  and  the  principals  being  only  slightly 
decorated  with  colour  at  the  east  end.  The  voussoirs  of  the  window 
arches  are  accentuated  by  the  occasional  use  of  a  brownish  stone, 
alternating,  though  by  no  means  at  regular  intervals,  with  the  white 
ashlar.  The  chancel  is  lined  with  alabaster  scored  over  with  incised 
lines  so  as  to  form  diamond-shaped  panels,  at  the  intersection  of 
which  quatrefoils  are  sunk  to  the  depth  of  an  inch,  giving  them  at  a 
little  distance  the  effect  of  black  inlay.  All  this  is  of  course  foreign 
to  English  Pointed  work,  and  is  the  more  remarkable,  because,  in  his 
mouldings  and  tracery,  Mr.  Butterfield's  design  as  a  rule  is  thoroughly 
national.  The  wood  fittings  of  the  chapel  are  very  peculiar,  and, 
though  by  no  means  wanting  in  refinement,  partake  of  that  dry  formal 
character  which  distinguishes  some  of  the  quasi-Gothic  carpentry  of  the 
last  centurv. 

J 

But  if  criticism   is   invited   by  such   oddities  as   these,  it   is  openly 
defied  by  the  design  of  Keble  College,  where  this  architect,  in  the  im- 


262  Keble  College,  Oxford. 


mediate  neighbourhood  of  buildings  rendered  venerable  by  association 
with  the  past,  has  recently  ventured  on  a  more  emphatic  departure 
from  local  traditions  of  style  than  Oxford  has  yet  seen,  either  in  the 
decadence  or  the  Revival  of  Gothic,  applied  to  buildings  of  a  similar 
class.  Perhaps  it  is  hardly  fair  to  judge  of  this  building  so  soon  after 
its  erection,  when  the  horizontal  bands  of  stone,  of  black  brick,  and  of 
white  brick,  oppose  each  other  so  crudely  that  in  looking  at  the 
various  fronts — east,  west,  north,  or  south — one  can  see  nothing  but 
stripes.  Yet,  even  when  time  has  toned  down  the  colour  of  the 
materials,  they  will  be  always  predominant  in  the  design,  and  if  such  an 
innovation  be  tolerated  at  Oxford — once  the  head-quarters  of  Mediaeval 
taste — we  need  not  be  surprised  to  find  it  imitated  elsewhere.  Indeed, 
this  mode  of  surface  decoration  has  been  long  practised  in  other  works, 
though  by  no  means  with  equal  skill.  In  Keble  College  the  main 
mass  of  the  walls  is  executed  in  red  brick,  and  the  architect  has 
cunningly  broken  up  his  black  bands  with  white  bricks  and  his  white 
bands  with  black  ones,  in  order  to  relieve  each  other  from  monotony 
and  heaviness.  The  window  dressings  and  mullions  are  of  stone,  and 
the  general  design — except  in  the  particulars  mentioned — is  distinguished 
by  intense  simplicity. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  and  one  which  is  keenly  suggestive  of  this 
paradoxical  age  of  art,  that  Mr.  Butterfield's  professional  followers  are 
the  most  conservative  in  their  opinions,  the  most  exclusive  in  their 
taste,  and  the  stanchest  admirers  of  traditional  English  Gothic  among 
contemporary  architects,  and  yet  there  is  no  one  who  in  some  re- 
spects has  more  deliberately  discarded  tradition  than  their  leader.  But 
then  he  has  done  so  consistently.  There  is  a  sober  earnestness  of 
purpose  in  his  work  widely  different  from  that  of  some  designers,  who 
seem  to  be  tossed  about  on  the  sea  of  popular  taste,  unable,  apparently, 
to  decide  what  style  they  will  adopt,  and  trying  their  hands  in  turn  at 
French,  at  Italian,  and  what  not,  with  no  more  reason  than  a  love  of 
change  or  a  restless  striving  after  effect.      He  does  not  care  to  produce 


Characteristics  of  Mr.  Butterfield's  I  Fork.       263 


showy  buildings  at  a  sacrifice — even  a  justifiable  sacrifice — of  construc- 
tive strength.  To  the  pretty  superficial  school  of  Gothic,  busy  with 
pinnacles,  chamfers,  and  fussy  carving,  he  has  never  condescended. 
He  has  his  own  (somewhat  stern)  notions  of  architectural  beauty,  and 
he  holds  to  them  whether  he  is  planning  a  cottage  or  a  cathedral. 
His  work  gives  one  the  idea  of  a  man  who  has  designed  it  not  so  much 
to  please  his  clients  as  to  please  himself.  In  estimating  the  value  of 
his  skill,  posterity  may  find  something  to  smile  at  as  eccentric,  some- 
thing to  deplore  as  ill-judged,  and  much  that  will  astonish  as  daring, 
but  they  will  find  nothing  to  despise  as  commonplace  or  mean. 


2  64  '  Ruskinism . ' 


CHAPTER  XV. 

T  was  suggested  in  the  last  chapter  that  during  the  ten  years 
which  elapsed  between  the  commencement  and  the  comple- 
tion of  All  Saints'  Church,  the  public  taste  in  architecture 
underwent  a  decided  change.  It  would  perhaps  have  been  more 
correct  to  say  two  or  three  changes,  but  undoubtedly  the  first  and 
perhaps  the  most  important  one  was  expressed  by  that  phase  in  the 
Gothic  Revival  which  has  since  been  distinguished — and  in  one  sense 
honourably  distinguished — by  the  name  of  Ruskinism. 

If  the  author  of  'Modern  Painters'  had  been  content  to  limit  his 
researches,  his  criticism,  and  the  dissemination  of  his  principles  to  the 
field  of  pictorial  art  alone,  he  would  have  won  for  himself  a  name  not 
easily  forgotten.  No  English  amateur  had  measured  so  accurately  the 
individual  merits  and  deficiencies  of  the  old  schools  of  painting,  or  was 
so  well  qualified  to  test  them  by  the  light  of  reason.  No  critic  had 
educated  his  eye  more  carefully  by  observation  of  Nature.  No 
essayist  enjoyed  the  faculty  of  expressing  his  ideas  with  greater  force 
or  in  finer  language.  But  Mr.  Ruskin's  taste  for  art  was  a  compre- 
hensive one.  He  learnt  at  an  early  age  that  painting,  sculpture,  and 
architecture  are  intimately  associated,  not  merely  in  their  history  but 
in  their  practice,  and  in  the  fundamental  principles  which  regulate  their 
respective  styles.  His  love  of  pictures  was  not  that  of  a  mere  collector 
or  dilettante,  who  buys  them  to  hang  up  in  gilt  frames  to  furnish  his 
drawing-room,  but  that  of  an  artist  who  considers  no  noble  building 
complete  without  storied  walls  and  sculptured  panels,  and  who  believes 
that  even  in  an  ordinary  dwelling-house  there  might,  under  a  proper 


Condition  of  Modern  Architect  it  re.  265 


condition  of  things,  be  found  scope  for  the  carver's  handiwork  and 
limner's  cunning. 

Mr.  Ruskin  looked  around  him  at  the  modern  architecture  of  England 
and  saw  that  it  not  only  did  not  realise  this  ideal  but  was  diametrically 
opposed  to  it.  He  found  the  majority  of  his  countrymen  either  pro- 
foundly indifferent  to  the  art  or  interested  in  it  chiefly  as  antiquarians 
and  pedants.  He  saw  public  buildings  copied  from  those  of  a  nobler 
age,  but  starved  or  vulgarised  in  the  copying.  He  saw  private  houses — 
some  modelled  on  what  was  supposed  to  be  an  Italian  pattern,  and  others 
modelled  on  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  Mediaeval  pattern,  and  he 
found  too  often  neither  grandeur  in  the  one  nor  grace  in  the  other. 
He  saw  palaces  which  looked  mean,  and  cottages  which  were  tawdry. 
He  saw  masonry  without  interest,  ornament  without  beauty,  and 
sculpture  without  life.  He  walked  through  the  streets  of  London  and 
found  that  they  consisted  for  the  most  part  of  flaunting  shop  fronts, 
stuccoed  porticos,  and  plaster  cornices.  It  is  true  there  were  fine  clubs 
and  theatres  and  public  institutions  scattered  here  and  there  ;  but  after 
making  due  allowance  for  their  size,  for  the  beauty  of  materials  used, 
and  for  the  neatness  of  the  workmanship,  how  far  could  they  be  con- 
sidered as  genuine  works  of  art  ?  Mr.  Ruskin  was  by  no  means  the 
first  person  who  asked  this  question  ;  but  he  was  the  first  who  asked  it 
boldly,  and  with  a  definite  purpose. 

Pugin  for  years  had  argued  that  it  was  the  duty  of  modern  Christians 
to  Christianise  their  architecture — that  is,  as  he  explained  it,  to  revive 
the  style  of  building  which  prevailed  in  this  country  for  some  centuries 
before  the  Reformation  ;  but  he  made  no  secret  of  his  hope  that  in 
readopting  Gothic,  Englishmen  would  gradually  learn  to  readopt  their 
ancient  faith ;  and  this  was  what  a  large  proportion  of  them  did  not 
exactly  contemplate  with  satisfaction.  The  High  Church  party,  too, 
were  mainly  anxious  for  the  Revival,  because  they  saw  in  it  an  oppor- 
tunity of  carrying  out  their  notions  of  orthodox  ritual,  and  of  reviving 
ecclesiastical  ceremonies  which  had  long  been  obsolete.     It  would  be 


266  The  'Seven  Lamps  of  Architecture? 

hard  indeed  to  blame  either  the  author  of  '  The  True  Principles '  or 
the  followers  of  Dr.  Pusey  for  viewing  the  matter  in  this  light.  The 
interests  of  religion  are  of  higher  importance  than  the  interests  of  art, 
but  art  has  more  than  once  been  the  handmaid  of  religion,  and  the 
seeking  to  retain  her  in  that  service,  from  conscientious  motives,  was 
in  both  cases  a  most  natural  and  obvious  course. 

Twenty  years  ago,  however,  the  extreme  Protestant  party  was  still 
a  strong  one.  They  saw  mischief  lurking  in  every  pointed  niche, 
and  heresy  peeping  from  behind  every  Gothic  pillar.  They  regarded 
the  Medievalists  with  suspicion,  and  identified  their  cause  with  Romish 
hierarchy,  with  the  Inquisition  and  Smithfield.  It  would  be  a  curious 
matter  for  speculation  to  ascertain  how  far  the  Revival  has  been  en- 
couraged, and  how  far  it  has  been  retarded,  by  ecclesiological  zeal  or 
idle  bigotry. 

When  Mr.  Ruskin  first  entered  the  lists  as  a  champion  of  Gothic 
Architecture,  it  was  certainly  not  as  a  Ritualist  or  as  an  apologist  for  the 
Church  of  Rome.  His  introduction  to  the  'Seven  Lamps  of  Archi- 
tecture '  partook  largely,  as  indeed  much  of  his  writing  then  did,  of  a 
religious  tone,  but  he  wrote  rather  as  a  moral  philosopher  than  as  a 
churchman,  and  though  his  theological  views  found  here  and  there 
decided  expression  they  could  hardly  be  identified  with  any  particular 
sect.  His  book,  therefore,  found  favour  with  a  large  class  of  readers 
who  had  turned  from  Pugin's  arguments  with  impatience,  and  to  whom 
even  the  c  Ecclesiologist '  had  preached  in  vain.  With  regard  to  archi- 
tecture as  an  art,  he  openly  declared  himself  a  reformer. 

I  have  long  felt  (he  wrote)  convinced  of  the  necessity,  in  order  to  its  pro- 
gress, of  some  determined  effort  to  extricate  from  the  confused  mass  of  traditions 
and  dogmata  with  which  it  has  become  encumbered  during  imperfect  or  restricted 
practice,  those  large  principles  of  right  which  are  applicable  to  every  stage 
and  style  of  it.  Uniting  the  technical  and  imaginative  elements  as  essentially  as 
humanity  does  soul  and  body,  it  shows  the  same  infirmly  balanced  liability  to 
the  prevalence  of  the  lower   part   over  the   higher,  to   the   interference   of  the 


Italian  Gothic.  267 


constructive,  with  the  purity  and  simplicity  of  the  reflective,  element.  This 
tendency,  like  every  other  form  of  materialism,  is  increasing  with  the  advance  of 
the  ase  ;  and  the  only  laws  which  resist  it,  based  upon  partial  precedents,  and 
already  regarded  with  disrespect  as  decrepit,  if  not  with  defiance  as  tyrannical,  are 
evidently  inapplicable  to  the  new  forms  and  functions  of  the  art  which  the 
necessities  of  the  day  demand. 

This  was  enough  to  alarm  that  school  of  the  Revivalists  whose  aim 
was  to  reproduce,   line  for   line,    the  works   of  the   Middle  Ages   in 
England,  and  their  alarm   was  increased  when  they   found   that   Mr. 
Ruskin's  taste  was  of  so  comprehensive  an  order  as  to  include  Italian 
Gothic    among   his   models  of  structural  beauty.      Up    to    this    time 
English    architects,    whether    of  the    Gothic    or   Classic   school,  had 
regarded  such  buildings  as  the  Doge's  Palace  at  Venice,  or  the  Church 
of  San  Michele  at  Lucca,  as  curious  examples  of  degenerate  design — 
interesting  indeed  as  links  in  the  history  of  European  art,  but  utterly 
unworthy  of  study  or  imitation.     It  was,  therefore,  with  some  surprise 
that  they  found  features  from  those  buildings  engraved  in  the  f  Seven 
Lamps '  as  instances    of  noble  carving   and  judicious   ornamentation, 
while  the  lantern  of  the  Church  of  St.  Ouen  at  Rouen,  which  the  old 
school  of  Medisevalists  had  accepted  as  a  miracle  of  grace,  was  described 
as  one  of  the  basest  pieces  of  Gothic  in  Europe.     But  Mr.  Ruskin  did 
not  confine  his  remarks  to  general  praise  or  censure  of  existing  works. 
Arranging  the  principles  which  he  conceived  had  regulated  or  should 
regulate  architectural  design  under  several  heads,  he  proceeded  to  show 
how  far  they  had  been  developed  in  past  ages,  and  to  what  extent  they 
were  liable  to  be  missed  or  falsified  in  the  present.     In  doing  this  he 
occasionally  traversed  old  ground  ;   but  he  avoided  as  far  as  possible 
the  footsteps  of  his  predecessors,  and  even  where  he  agreed  with  their 
conclusions,  he  generally  led  up  to  them  with  a  different  line  of  argu- 
ment.    There  are  sentiments  expressed  in  c  The  Lamps  '  of  Sacrifice,  of 
Truth,  and  of  Memory,  which  had  been  frequently  expressed  before; 
but  they  are  founded  on  novel  theories,  identified  with  minutias  of  facts 


268  Mr.  Ruskiris  Opinions. 


which  had  hitherto  escaped  attention,  or  so  clothed  in  metaphysical 
language  as  to  assume  a  different  aspect.  He  showed,  for  example, 
more  clearly  and  emphatically  than  any  previous  writer  on  art,  the  folly 
of  wasting  money  on  the  meaningless  and  uninteresting  fineries  of  a 
modern  house,  while  a  tenth  part  of  the  expense  thus  thrown  away  on 
so-called  decoration,  which  no  one  cares  for  or  enjoys,  *  would,  if  col- 
lectively offered  and  wisely  employed,  build  a  marble  church  for  every 
town  in  England.'  But  he  carefully  guarded  himself  against  the  impu- 
tation of  advocating  either  meanness  in  domestic  architecture,  or  osten- 
tatious display  of  magnificence  in  ecclesiastical. 

The  most  advanced  practitioners  of  the  day  had  long  agreed  that  it 
was  undesirable  to  employ  iron  for  visible  construction  in  a  Gothic 
building.  But  many  of  them  had  not  hesitated  to  use  its  where  it  could 
be  concealed  from  view.  On  this  point  Mr.  Ruskin  found  himself 
embarrassed  by  some  doubt.  He  had  propounded  the  dogma  that  there 
was  no  law  based  on  past  practice  which  might  not  be  overthrown 
by  the  invention  of  a  new  material,  and  he  could  not  avoid  the  conclu- 
sion that  a  fresh  system  of  architectural  laws  might  gradually  be  evolved 
from  the  modern  use  of  iron.  Besides,  there  were  examples  of  its 
employment  in  good  ages  of  art — as  the  Florence  dome  and  the 
central  tower  at  Salisbury — to  say  nothing  of  minor  instances.  On 
the  other  hand,  all  his  artistic  sympathies  were  opposed  to  the  nature  of 
metallic  construction.  After  deliberating  on  this  confliction  of  theory 
and  practice,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  iron  might  be  used  as  a 
cement,  but  not  as  a  support — or,  as  an  architect  would  say,  as  a  tie,  but 
not  as  a  strut.  This  was  a  distinction,  though  in  arriving  at  it  he  for- 
got to  notice  the  distinct  qualities  of  strength  in  tension  and  compres- 
sion respectively  possessed  by  wrought  and  cast  iron. 

Professor  Willis  had  already  demonstrated  that  Gothic  tracery  had 
been  gradually  developed  from  the  close  association  of  pierced  openings 
in  the  solid  arch-heads  of  early  windows.  The  prevalent  opinion  was 
that  the  full  beauty  of  tracery  had  only  been  reached  when  this  primi- 


Development  of  IVindcrw-tracery.  269 

tive  type  was  forgotten,  and  the  stone  ribs  themselves,  rather  than  the 
spaces  which  they  enclosed,  were  reduced  by  geometrical  rule  to  de- 
finite form.  Mr.  Ruskin  held,  on  the  contrary,  that  in  proportion  as 
this  stage  had  been  approached,  the  true  grace  of  tracery  had  di- 
minished. He  pointed  out  that  the  forms  which  the  penetrations 
assumed  were  of  primary  importance,  and  that  whereas  in  the  early 
windows  they  were  simple  and  severe  in  outline,  in  the  late  windows 
they  became  distorted  and  extravagant,  while  the  flowing  unstone-like 
character  of  the  tracery  itself  gave  rise  to  a  foolish  supposition  among 
the  ignorant,  viz.  that  it  originated  in  the  imitation  of  vegetable 
form. 

To  this  supposition  Mr.  Ruskin  alluded  in  terms  of  well-deserved 
contempt,  yet  it  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that  in  defining  the  conditions 
of  architectural  beauty  he  himself  endeavoured  to  trace  its  source  in 
almost  every  instance  to  the  example  of  nature.  This  was,  in  short, 
the  foundation  and  elementary  belief  of  his  teaching.  From  this 
belief  he  derived,  or  thought  that  he  derived,  a  fixed  and  lasting 
standard,  by  which  the  value  of  every  structural  feature,  the  quality  of 
all  ornament,  and  indeed  the  excellence  of  most  designs  as  a  whole, 
might  be  tested.  In  endeavouring  to  prove  this  theory  he  encountered 
endless  difficulties,  involved  himself  in  many  apparent  contradictions 
and  inconsistencies,  and  though  it  enlisted  the  sympathies  of  those 
whose  opinions  on  art  are  based  on  sentiment  rather  than  study,  it  was 
received  with  incredulity  by  a  large  proportion  of  his  readers,  while  pro- 
fessional architects,  as  a  rule,  regarded  him  in  the  light  of  a  vain  and 
misinformed  enthusiast. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  world  easier  than  the  expression  of  a  simple 
opinion  on  matters  of  taste ;  but  there  is  nothing  more  difficult  than 
to  succeed  in  justifying  it,  not  only  in  one's  own  mind,  but  to  the 
satisfaction  of  other  people.  It  was  of  course  open  to  Mr.  Ruskin  to 
declare  the  Greek  triglyph  and  the  Greek  fret  ugly  things.  So  far 
many  of  his  readers,  and  especially  the   Gothic  architects  of  the  day, 


270  The  'Lamp  of  Beauty! 

agreed  with  him.  But  when  he  attempted  to  prove  that  the  triglyph 
was  ugly  because  it  suggested  no  organic  form,  and  that  the  fret 
ornament  was  ugly  because  its  natural  type  was  only  found  in  crystals 
of  bismuth,  even  his  admirers  began  to  smile.  They  felt  that  this 
mode  of  reasoning  carried  a  little  farther  would  tend  to  condemn 
many  architectural  features,  the  use  of  which  has  been  long  sanctioned 
by  custom,  and  even  authorised  by  expedience,  but  which  has  no  sem- 
blance of  a  prototype  in  the  book  of  Nature. 

Assuming  the  application  of  Mr.  Ruskin's  theory  to  be  correct  in 
these  instances,  it  would  be  difficult  to  assign  any  reason  for  retaining 
such  distinctively  Gothic  details  as  the  pinnacle,  the  battlemented 
parapet,  the  moulded  arch,  or  that  peculiar  form  of  Venetian  billet 
decoration,  of  which  he  himself  says,  in  another  work,  that  (  nothing 
could  be  ever  invented  fitter  for  its  purpose.'  Indeed,  they  are  all 
admirable  in  their  place,  but  it  must  be  a  poetical  order  of  mind  which 
could  detect  in  them  any  resemblance  to  natural  form. 

The  truth  is  that  Mr.  Ruskin  was  continually  advancing  proposi- 
tions, often  excellent  in  themselves,  which  he  as  frequently  failed  to 
maintain — not  for  want  of  argument,  but  because  his  arguments  proved 
too  much.  Nothing,  for  instance,  can  be  more  rational  than  a  great 
deal  of  what  he  says  in  the  f  Lamp  of  Beauty  '  on  the  subject  of  pro- 
portion. That  subtle  quality  of  architectural  grace  was,  he  averred, 
not  a  science  which  could  be  taught,  but  the  result  of  individual 
genius  in  the  designer. 

Proportions  are  infinite  (and  that  in  all  kinds  of  things,  as  severally  in  colours, 
lines,  shades,  lights,  and  forms),  as  possible  airs  in  music  ;  and  it  is  just  as 
rational  an  attempt  to  teach  a  young  architect  how  to  proportion  truly  and  well 
by  calculating  for  him  proportions  of  fine  works,  as  it  would  be  to  teach  him  to 
compose  melodies  by  calculating  the  mathematical  relations  of  the  notes  in 
Beethoven's  'Adelaide'  or  Mozart's  'Requiem.'  The  man  who  has  eye  and 
intellect  will  invent  beautiful  proportions  and  cannot  help  it  ;  but  he  can  no 
more  tell  us  how  to  do  it  than  Wordsworth  could  tell  us  how  to  write  a  sonnet  or 
than  Scott  could  have  told  us  how  to  plan  a  romance. 


Mr.  Ruskin' s  Critics. 


271 


This  is  all  very  well,  but  a  few  pages  further  on  we  find  our  author 
dissecting  the  flower  stem  of  a  water-plantain,  and  using  arithmetical 
formulas  to  show  the  subdivision  of  its  branches,  from  which  he  implies 
that  a  lesson  is  to  be  learnt.  Now  it  may  or  may  not  be  true  that 
the  anatomy  of  water-plantains  is  suggestive  of  good  proportion  in 
architecture,  and  it  may  or  may  not  be  right  that  Mr.  Ruskin  should 
recommend  us  to  examine  it  for  that  reason  ;  but  if  the  secret  of  right 
proportion  is,  as  he  has  said,  not  to  be  learnt,  it  follows  that  both  the 
sermon  and  its  text  are  thrown  away.  It  was  one  of  the  same  writer's 
early  opinions  that  the  scientific  study  of  perspective  was  quite  useless. 
In  course  of  time  he  wrote  a  treatise  himself  on  the  subject,  which  is 
certainly  not  less  complicated  or  obscure  than  many  others  which  had 
previously  been  published. 

These  inconsistencies  and  prejudices  are  to  be  regretted,  not  only  on 
their  own  account,  but  because  they  have  from  time  to  time  exposed 
the  author  to  criticism  which  is  not  only  severe,  but,  up  to  a  certain 
point,  justifiable. 

Many  an  architect  who  had  no  time  to  read  through  the  f  Seven 
Lamps '  with  attention  cast  the  book  impatiently  aside  as  he  lighted  on 
some  passage  which  betrayed  the  author's  inexperience  in  technical 
details.  Many  a  journalist  who  knew  nothing  of  technicalities  was 
fully  alive  to  irreconcilable  dogmas  and  flaws  of  logic.  Meanwhile, 
the  great  moral  of  his  teaching  was  overlooked.  His  opinions  were 
regarded  by  many  of  the  profession  as  utterly  absurd  and  irrational. 
The  general  press  admired  his  eloquence,  but  questioned  his  arguments, 
and  stood  aghast  at  his  conclusions.  For  Mr.  Ruskin  had  even  then 
hinted  at  certain  social  reforms,  which  he  has  since  endeavoured  to 
reduce  to  a  system,  but  which  have  as  much  chance  of  being  realised 
as  the  discovery  of  the  philosopher's  stone.  To  what  extent  morality 
and  art  were  allied  in  the  Middle  Ages,  or  at  any  other  period  of  the 
world's  history,  may  be  doubtful.  What  we  do  know  is,  that  in  the 
nineteenth    century   a    bad    artist    is    not    unfrequently    a    verv    qood 


272  Art,  Religion,  and  Philanthropy 


Christian,  and  that  an  indifferent  Christian  may  be  an  excellent  artist. 
The  services  of  architects,  sculptors,  and  painters  have,  it  is  true,  been 
of  late  years  secured  for  the  Church ;  but  it  is  probable  that  they 
undertook  their  work  as  they  would  have  undertaken  any  other  sort 
of  work — zealously,  but,  except  in  a  few  rare  instances,  without  extra- 
ordinary enthusiasm.  It  would,  no  doubt,  be  beneficial  to  the  interests 
of  society  if  every  art-workman  were  to  become  a  religious  man;  but 
the  chances  are  that  the  progress  of  art  would  not  be  advanced  by  his 
conversion. 

Mr.  Ruskin  is  one  of  the  most  accomplished  art  critics,  and  perhaps 
the  most  eloquent  writer  on  art  that  England  has  seen,  in  this  or  any 
other  age.  He  is  also,  if  any  man  ever  was,  a  theoretical  philanthro- 
pist. His  views  on  the  subject  of  art  may  in  the  main  be  sound  ;  his 
philanthropical  intentions  are,  we  doubt  not,  sincere  ;  but,  considered 
in  combination  as  they  are  usually  associated,  they  present  a  scheme 
which  is  utterly  impracticable. 

On  the  Gothic  Revival,  as  it  was  ordinarily  understood,  Mr.  Ruskin 
himself  did  not  look  very  hopefully.  He  had  seen  the  fitful  variations 
of  taste  to  which  modern  architecture  had  already  been  exposed,  and 
perhaps  he  foresaw  other  and  more  radical  changes  by  which  it  was 
threatened.  He  was  impatient  of  the  tame  and  spiritless  formality 
which  distinguished  too  many  specimens  of  contemporary  design  ; 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  was  sick  of  the  cant  which  continually 
demanded  novelty  and  freedom  from  precedent. 

A  day  never  passes  without  our  hearing  our  English  architects  called  upon 
to  be  original  and  to  invent  a  new  style  :  about  as  sensible  and  necessary  an 
exhortation  as  to  ask  of  a  man  who  has  never  had  rags  enough  on  his  back  to 
keep  out  the  cold  to  invent  a  new  mode  of  cutting  a  coat.  Give  him  a  whole 
coat  first  and  let  him  concern  himself  about  the  fashion  of  it  afterwards.  We 
want  no  new  style  of  architecture.  Who  wants  a  new  style  of  painting  or  of 
sculpture  ?      But  we  want  some  style. 

This  is  not  exactly  one  of  the  happiest  of  Mr.  Ruskin's  similes,  but 


Proposed  Limits  of  National  Style.  273 

it  serves  to  illustrate  his  meaning.  What  he  meant  was  that  a  style 
of  national  architecture  should  be  definitely  selected  for  adoption,  and 
universally  practised.  The  choice  of  a  style  he  limited  to  four  types  : 
(1)  Pisan  Romanesque  ;  (2)  Florentine  of  Giotto's  time  ;  (3)  Venetian 
Gothic;  and  (4)  the  earliest  English  Decorated.  Of  these  he  considered 
that  the  last  would,  on  the  whole,  be  the  safest  to  choose ;  but  it  was 
to  be  f  well  fenced '  from  the  chance  of  degenerating  again  into  Per-' 
pendicular,  and  might  be  enriched  by  the  introduction  of  a  French 
element. 

To  ensure  conformity  of  taste  to  this  standard  when  once  settled, 
Mr.  Ruskin  proposed  that  an  universal  system  of  form  and  workman- 
ship should  be  everywhere  adopted  and  enforced.  How  it  was  to  be 
enforced  and  by  whom  he  did  not  venture  to  explain.  Whether  it  was 
to  become  the  law  of  the  land ;  what  provision  was  to  be  made  for  its 
fulfilment;  what  penalties  were  to  be  attached  to  its  neglect  or  violation  , 
whether  the  architect  of  a  Jacobean  mansion  would  be  subject  to  a  fine, 
or  how  far  any  decided  tendency  to  Flamboyant  design  could  be  con- 
sidered as  a  misdemeanour ;  all  these  were  details  of  his  scheme  which 
he  left  others  to  determine.  That  the  scheme  presented  a  difficulty 
he  was  aware,  but  he  did  not  consider  that  any  difficulty  could  affect 
the  value  of  his  proposition. 

It  may  be  said  that  this  is  impossible.  It  may  be  so.  I  fear  it  is  so.  I 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  possibility  or  impossibility  of  it.  I  simply  know  and 
assert  the  necessity  of  it.  If  it  be  impossible,  English  art  is  impossible.  Give  it 
up  at  once.  You  are  wasting  time  and  money  and  energy  upon  it,  and  though 
you  exhaust  centuries  and  treasuries,  and  break  hearts  for  it,  you  will  never  raise 
it  above  the  merest  dilettanteism.  Think  not  of  it.  It  is  a  dangerous  vanity, 
a  mere  gulf  in  which  genius  after  genius  will  be  swallowed  up,  and  it  will  not 
close. 

It  was  wild  and  impetuous  reasoning  such  as  this  which  broke  the 
spell  of  Mr.  Ruskin's  authority  and  robbed  his  eloquence  of  half 
its  charm.     People  began   to  ask  themselves   whether   a  man  gifted, 

T 


274  Character  of  Mr.  Ruskin' s  Opinions. 


even  as  they  knew  him  to  be  gifted,  with  a  keen  appreciation  of  the 
beautiful  in  art  and  nature,  with  intellectual  faculties  of  a  high  order, 
with  a  moral  sense  which  revealed  itself  in  the  minutiae  of  aesthetics — 
whether  even  such  a  guide  as  this  was  to  be  trusted  when  he  allowed 
his  theories  to  waft  him  into  dreamland,  or  to  culminate  in  plans  which 
would  have  been  considered  unfeasible  in  Utopia. 

In  so  far  as  the  author  of  c  The  Seven  Lamps  of  Architecture '  con- 
fined himself  to  strictures  on  all  that  was  false  or  mean  or  meretricious 
in  bad  art,  or  pointed  out  the  truth,  the  purity,  and  grace  of  noble  art 
(and  on  the  whole  no  one  was  better  qualified  to  draw  these  distinc- 
tions), he  did  excellent  service  to  national  taste.  In  so  far  as  he  allowed 
his  prejudices  to  get  the  better  of  his  judgment,  in  so  far  as  he  at- 
tempted to  form — what  never  will  be  formed — a  perfect  and  universally 
acceptable  test  of  architectural  excellence,  or  pursued  fanciful  theories 
at  the  expense  of  common  sense,  he  exposed  himself  to  the  obvious 
charges  of  unfairness  and  inconsistency,  and  damaged  the  cause  which 
he  had  most  at  heart.* 

Two  years  after  the  publication  of  c  The  Seven  Lamps,'  Mr.  Ruskin 
came  before  the  world  as  the  author  of  another  and  more  important 
work,  with  which  his  name  has  been  more  permanently  associated,  and 
for  which,  if  we  regard  collectively  the  character  of  its  contents,  the 
nature  of  its  aim,  or  the  beauty  and  vigour  of  its  language,  there  is  no 
parallel  in  the  range  of  English  literature. 

The  Mediaeval  architecture  of  Venice  had  hitherto  been  to  most  of 
our  countrymen  an  unexplored  mine  of  artistic  interest,  which  pro- 
bably few,  if  any,  professional  students  in  this  country  considered  worth 
the  working..  Since  the  days  of  Joseph  Woods,  a  man  of  education  and 
refined  taste,  who  came  back  from  his  Continental  tour  to  tell  the 
British  public  that  he  could  find  no  beauty  in  St.  Mark's,  it  is  pro- 
bable that  our   architects  who  went,  there   to  sketch   and  to  measure 

*  It  is  but  fair  to  state  here  that  Mr.  Ruskin  has  since  expressed  himself  dissatisfied 
with  the  form  in  which  many  of  his  early  opinions  were  recorded  at  this  period  of  his  life. 


'  The  Stones  of  Venice.'  275 


were  content  to  fill  their  portfolios  with  drawings  of  the  Libreria  and 
the  Renaissance  palaces,  and  to  leave  the  Byzantine  and  Gothic  relics 
to  their  fate.  Those  who  had  not  visited  Venice  itself  could  form  no 
idea  of  such  remains  from  the  cold  and  lifeless  engravings  of  Cicognara's 
work.  Fontana  gave  (to  the  artist)  even  less  information.  But  at 
last  the  merits  of  Venetian  Gothic  found  an  able  and  a  doughty  ex- 
ponent. Mr.  Ruskin  for  many  years  of  his  life  had  returned  again 
and  again  to  examine  it,  to  admire  it,  to  sketch  its  details  with  a  loving 
hand,  to  note  carefully  and  minutely  its  peculiar  characteristics,  and  to 
lay  up  a  stock  of  information  respecting  its  origin,  its  development  and 
decay,  such  as  never  had  before  been  so  copiously  accumulated  or 
turned  to  so  excellent  an  account. 

The  same  year  which  saw  the  first-fruits  of  this  labour  witnessed  the 
realisation  of  a  scheme  of  world-wide  reputation,  which  had  also  for  its 
object — or  at  least  one  of  its  main  objects — the  advancement  of  art ; 
but  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  two  modes  devised  for  that  end  more 
thoroughly  opposed  to  each  other  in  sentiment,  in  purpose,  and  ex- 
ample, than  the  publication  of  *  The  Stones  of  Venice  '  and  the  opening 
of  the  Great  Exhibition  of  1851. 

That  '  The  Stones  of  Venice '  expanded  into  three  volumes  is  no 
matter  of  surprise  when  we  remember  that  the  author's  aim  was  not  only 
to  give  an  historical  and  artistic  description  of  Venetian  architecture  but 
to  incorporate  with  that  description  his  ideas  of  what  modern  architecture 
should  be  :  not  only  to  illustrate,  but  to  moralise,  expound,  and  advise. 
In  entering  on  so  bold  and  comprehensive  an  undertaking  as  this,  it 
was  of  course  necessary  to  proceed  in  a  methodical  manner,  and  it 
classification  of  subject  could  ensure  this  end  Mr.  Ruskin  did  his  best  to 
ensure  it.  Not  only  was  each  volume  divided  into  chapters,  not  only 
was  each  chapter  divided  into  sections,  but  further  divisions  and  sub- 
divisions were  made  to  such  an  extent  that  it  became  an  effort  to 
remember  in  what  precise  relation  they  stood  to  each  other. 

The  (  virtues  of  architecture  '  were  declared  to  be  three.      The  main 


T  2 


276  Divisions  and  Subdivisions  of  Subject. 

duties  of  architecture  were  declared  to  be  two.  The  divisions  of  archi- 
tecture were  declared  to  be  six.  The  first  of  the  two  main  duties  of 
architecture  were  concerned  with  Walls,  Roofs,  and  Apertures.  The 
Wall  was  divided  into  the  Foundation,  the  Body  or  Veil,  and  the 
Cornice.  The  roof  was  of  two  kinds — the  Roof  proper  and  the  Roof 
mask.  The  Cornice  was  of  two  kinds — the  Roof  Cornice  and  the  Wall 
Cornice.  Roof  cornices  were,  again,  subdivided  into  the  Eaved  cornice 
and  the  Bracket.  Eaved  cornices  were  of  several  kinds,  brackets  were 
of  several  kinds,  and,  in  short,  to  trace  intelligibly  the  ramifications  of 
each  feature  on  Mr.  Ruskin's  plan  would  be  to  rival  the  intricacy  of  a 
genealogical  tree. 

In  pursuing  this  system  of  classification  Mr.  Ruskin  did  not  hesitate 
to  coin  names  and  employ  phrases  unknown  in  any  architectural 
glossary  and  certainly  unfamiliar  to  professional  ears.  The  Expressions' 
f  wall-veil,'  f  arch-load,'  f  linear  and  surface  Gothic,'  and  f  ignoble 
grotesque,'  though  now  intelligible  enough  to  those  who  have  read  his 
works,  were  at  the  time,  and  simply  because  of  their  novelty,  pronounced 
by  many  to  be  obscure  and  affected.  For  precisely  the  same  reason 
many  of  his  theories  were  condemned  as  untenable.  The  injustice  of 
this  inference  is  obvious.  It  was  not  affectation  which  led  Mr.  Ruskin  to 
spend  month  after  month  in  studying  the  capitals  of  the  Ducal  Palace  ; 
in  measuring  the  intercolumniations  of  the  Fondaco  de'  Turchi  ;  in 
planning  the  churches  of  Torcello  and  Murano  ;  in  delineating  the  rich 
inlay  of  the  Palazzo  Badoari.  It  was  the  work  of  no  shallow  reasoner 
to  show  step  by  step  the  development  of  the  pointed  arch  with  all  its 
varieties  of  outline  and  tracery,  to  analyse  and  define  the  condi- 
tions of  sculptured  decoration,  to  draw  nice  distinctions  between  the 
profiles  of  base-mouldings  and  string-courses,  to  demonstrate  the 
relations  between  archivolt  and  aperture.  In  these  and  a  hundred  other 
instances  he  showed  that  his  appreciation  of  architecture  was  not  that 
of  a  mere  amateur,  but  based  on  an  earnest  study  of  its  fundamental 
principles. 


My.  Ruskiris  Qualifications  as  a  Critic.         277 


It  is  true  that  here  and  there  he  betrayed  an  imperfect  acquaintance 
with  the  science  of  construction,  but  it  was  chiefly  on  points  which  did 
not  affect  his  arguments ;  while  in  all  that  related  to  the  philosophy  of 
his  favourite  art  or  the  elements  of  its  beauty  he  generally  proved  his 
case  whether  he  was  answering  Mr.  Garbett  or  posing  Mr.  Fergusson. 

Indeed  Mr.  Ruskin  discoursed  on  art  with  advantages  not  often 
possessed  by  ordinary  art  critics.  Before  he  ventured  to  write  on  the 
subject  his  curriculum  of  study  had  extended  over  a  wide  field.  He 
had  had  a  university  education.  He  had  looked  into  natural  science. 
He  was  better  acquainted  than  most  men  who  have  not  devoted  them- 
selves specially  to  such  pursuits  with  geology  and  botany.  He  was 
well  read  in  classic  literature.  His  taste  and  skill  as  an  artist  were 
remarkable,  and  his  sketches  of  architecture  and  of  decorative  sculpture 
are  even  now  second  to  none  in  refinement  and  delicacy  of  execution. 
A  man  who  with  such  qualifications  sets  himself  seriously  to  examine 
the  principles  of  a  particular  branch  of  art  has  a  right  to  be  heard  when 
he  talks  of  it. 

And,  for  all  his  errors  and  failings,  Mr.  Ruskin  was  heard.*  Never, 
since  the  days  of  the  English  decadence — never,  since  the  Pointed  arch 
was  depressed  into  Tudor  ugliness — never,  since  tradition  lost  its  sway  in 
regulating  the  fashion  of  structural  design — has  the  subject  of  Gothic 

*  A  curious  evidence  of  the  extent   to  which  '  Ruskinism '  was  at  this  time  recognised 

in  English  society  may  be  mentioned.     The  Latin  Epilogue  to  the  '  Westminster  Play '  is 

generally  a  reflex  of  some  popular  taste  or  current   topic   of  sufficient  notoriety  to  afford 

scope  for  good-humoured  satire.     In  1857  the  Epilogus  ad  Adelpbos  contains  the  following 

dialogue : 

Ctesipbo.  Graecia  in  hac  v\ij  palmam  fert  semper.     ^Escbinus.  Ineptis ! 

Est  cumulus  nudas  simplicitatis  iners. 

Ars  contra  mediaeva  haud  lege  aut  limite  iniquo 

Contenta,  hue,  illuc,  pullulat  ad  libitum. 

#  *  #  *  * 

Ctesipbo.  An  rectum  atque  fldem  saxa  laterque  docent? 

uEscbinus.  Graia  et  Romana.  nihil  immoralius  usquam 
Archi-est-tectura — {turning  to  '  The  Seven  Lamps')  pagina  sexta — tenc. 
Sic  ipsus  dixit.      Ctesipbo.   Vix  hax  comprendere  possum. 

JEscbinus.  Scilicet  iEsthesi  tu,  miserande,  cares. 


278  Early  Converts  to  '  Ruskinism! 


Architecture  been  rendered  so  popular  in  this  country,  as  for  a  while  it 
was  rendered  by  the  aid  of  his  pen.  All  that  had  been  argued — all  that 
had  been  preached  on  the  subject  previously,  was  cast  into  the  shade  by 
the  vigour  of  his  protest.  Previous  apologists  for  the  Revival  had 
relied  more  or  less  on  ecclesiastical  sentiment,  on  historical  interest,  or 
on  a  vague  sense  of  the  picturesque  for  their  plea  in  its  favour.  It 
was  reserved  for  the  author  of  '  The  Stones  of  Venice  '  to  strike  a  chord 
of  human  sympathy  that  vibrated  through  all  hearts,  and  to  advocate, 
independently  of  considerations  which  had  hitherto  only  enlisted  the 
sympathy  of  a  few,  those  principles  of  Mediaeval  Art  whose  appli- 
cation should  be  universal.  There  are  passages  in  this  work  record- 
ing nobler  truths  concerning  architecture  than  had  ever  before  found 
expression  in  our  mother  tongue.  The  rich  fertility  of  the  author's 
language,  his  happy  choice  of  illustrative  parallels,  the  clear  and  forcible 
manner  in  which  he  states  his  case  or  points  his  moral,  and,  above  all, 
the  marvellous  capacity  of  his  descriptive  power,  are  truly  admirable. 
No  finer  English  has  been  written  in  our  time.      It  is  poetry  in  prose. 

That  he  made  many  converts,  and  found  many  disciples  among  the 
younger  architects  of  the  day,  is  not  to  be  wondered.  Students,  who 
but  a  year  or  so  previously  had  been  content  to  regard  Pugin  as  then- 
leader,  or  who  had  modelled  their  notions  of  art  on  the  precepts  of  the 
'  Ecclesiologist,'  found  a  new  field  open  to  them,  and  hastened  to  occupy 
it.  They  prepared  designs  in  which  the  elements  of  Italian  Gothic  were 
largely  introduced :  churches  in  which  the  c  lily  capital '  of  St.  Mark's 
was  found  side  by  side  with  Byzantine  bas-reliefs  and  mural  inlay  from 
Murano  ;  town  halls  wherein  the  arcuation  and  baseless  columns  of  the 
Ducal  Palace  were  reproduced  ;  mansions  which  borrowed  their  parapets 
from  the  Calle  del  Bagatin,  and  windows  from  the  Ca'  d'Oro.  They 
astonished  their  masters  by  talking  of  the  Savageness  of  Northern 
Gothic,  of  the  Intemperance  of  Curves,  and  the  Laws  of  Foliation  ; 
and  broke  out  into  open  heresy  in  their  abuse  of  Renaissance  detail. 
They  went  to  Venice  or  Verona     not  to  study  the  works  of  Sansovino 


Introduction  of  Venetian  Gothic.  279 


and  San  Michele — but  to  sketch  the  tomb  of  the  Scaligers  and  to 
measure  the  front  of  the  Hotel  Danieli.  They  made  drawings  in  the 
Zoological  Gardens,  and  conventionalised  the  forms  of  birds,  beasts,  and 
reptiles  into  examples  of  '  noble  grotesque  '  for  decorative  sculpture. 
They  read  papers  before  Architectural  Societies,  embodying  Mr. 
Ruskin's  sentiments  in  language  which  rivalled  the  force,  if  it  did  not 
exactly  match  the  refinement,  of  their  model.  They  made  friends  of 
the  Pre-Raphaelite  painters  (then  rising  into  fame),  and  promised 
themselves  as  radical  a  reform  in  national  architecture  as  had  been 
inaugurated  in  the  field  of  pictorial  art.  Nor  was  this  all.  Not  a  few 
architects  who  had  already  established  a  practice  began  to  think  that 
there  might  be  something  worthy  of  attention  in  the  new  doctrine. 
Little  by  little  they  fell  under  its  influence.  Discs  of  marble,  billet- 
mouldings,  and  other  details  of  Italian  Gothic,  crept  into  many  a 
London  street-front.  Then  bands  of  coloured  brick  (chiefly  red  and 
yellow)  were  introduced,  and  the  voussoirs  of  arches  were  treated  after 
the  same  fashion.* 

But  the  influence  of  Mr.  Ruskin's  teaching  reached  a  higher  level 
than  this,  and  manifested  itself  in  unexpected  quarters.  Year's  after- 
wards, in  the  centre  of  the  busiest  part  of  our  busy  capital — the  very  last 
place  one  would  have  supposed  likely  to  be  illumined  by  the  light  of 
c  The  Seven  Lamps  ' — more  than  one  palatial  building  was  raised,  which 
recalled  in  the  leading  features  of  its  design  and  decoration  the  distinc- 
tive character  of  Venetian  Gothic. 

The  literature  of  the  Revival  was  sensibly  affected  by  the  same  cause. 
It  is  impossible  not  to  recognise  even  in  the  title  of  Mr.  Street's  charm- 
ing volume,  'The  Brick  and  Marble  Architecture  of  North  Italy,'  a 

*  In  the  suburbs  this  mode  of  decoration  rose  rapidly  into  favour  for  cockney  villas 
and  public  taverns,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  that  peculiar  order  of  Victorian  Architecture 
which  has  since  been  distinguished  by  the  familiar  but  not  altogether  inappropriate  name 
of  the  Streaky  Bacon  Style- 


280  ' Quot  Jiomiucs,  tot  scut  cut  ice.' 

palpable  echo  from  c  The  Stones  of  Venice,'  while  in  some  of  his  theories 
— as,  for  instance,  that  the  undulation  in  the  pavement  of  St.  Mark's 
was  intended  to  typify  the  stormy  seas  of  life — we  find  a  reflex  of 
Mr.  Ruskin's  tendency  to  natural  symbolism. 

For  a  considerable  time,  indeed,  the  principles  enunciated  by  this 
accomplished  author  and  critic  gained  ground  even  in  spite  of  violent 
opposition.  It  was  perhaps  while  they  were  most  vigorously  attacked 
on  one  side  that  they  received  the  staunchest  support  from  the  other. 
But  the  current  of  public  taste,  even  in  the  artistic  world,  is  capricious 
in  its  course,  and  is  subject  to  constant  deviation.  Of  late  years  other 
influences  have  been  at  work — for  good  or  evil  one  can  scarcely  yet 
say,  but  certainly  to  some  purpose.  If  the  Gothic  Revival  has  lost 
Mr.  Ruskin  as  a  leader,  it  is  to  be  trusted  that  he  may  still  watch  its 
progress  as  a  counsel ler  and  a  friend. 


The  Great  Exhibition  <?/"  1851.  281 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

HE  flourish  of  trumpets  which  announced  to  an  admiring 
crowd  that  the  Great  Exhibition  of  1851  was  open  to  the 
world  found  many  an  echo  outside  that  ingeniously-contrived 
building.  Not  content  with  prophecies  of  future  peace  and  plenty  for 
England — not  content  with  proclaiming  that  the  ambition  of  kings,  in- 
ternational jealousies,  and  all  other  incentives  to  war  would  thenceforth 
yield  to  the  beneficent  influence  of  commercial  intercourse — not  content 
with  inventing  poetical  names  for  the  structure  in  Hyde  Park  which 
were  widely  remote  from  its  purpose  and  material  being — the  enthusiastic 
public  declared  that  a  new  order  of  architecture  had  at  last  been  dis- 
covered that  would  soon  supersede  every  kind  of  style  which  had 
hitherto  been  devised,  and  that  it  needed  but  time  to  ensure  its  universal 
adoption. 

If  more  practical  men  did  not  precisely  share  these  anticipations,  it 
must  be  confessed  that  a  few  did  their  best  to  encourage  them.  One 
architect  at  least,  whose  acquaintance  with  the  history  of  his  art  extends 
over  all  time,  and  compasses  regions  from  the  North  Sea  to  the  Arabian 
Gulf,  from  the  Sierra  d'Estrella  to  the  Himalaya  Mountains,  did  not 
hesitate  to  avow  his  conviction  that  Mr.  Paxton,  guided  by  the  light  of 
(  his  own  native  sagacity  '  had  achieved  a  success  which  proved  incon- 
trovertibly  how  mistaken  we  had  been  in  endeavouring  to  copy  from 
ancient  examples  ;  that  the  architecture  of  the  future  should  be  the  archi- 
tecture of  common  sense  ;  and  that  if  the  same  principles  which  had  in- 
spired the  designer  of  the  Exhibition  building  had.  been  applied  to  the 
Houses  of  Parliament,  to  the  British  Museum,  and  to  the  new  churches 


282  Effect  of  the  Great  Exhibition. 


then  in  course  of  erection,  millions  of  money  would  have  been  saved 
and  a  better  class  of  art  secured. 

Sanguine  converts  to  the  new  faith  began  to  talk  as  if  glass  and  iron 
would  form  an  admirable  substitute  for  bricks  and  mortar,  and  wondrous 
changes  were  predicted  as  to  the  future  aspect  of  our  streets  and  squares. 
The  failure  of  the  professional  competition  invited  by  the  Royal  Com- 
missioners of  1850  was  pointed  out  with  triumph,  and  architects  were 
warned  that  if  they  still  fondly  clung  to  the  traditions  of  the  past  they 
had  better  abandon  their  vocation  altogether. 

At  length  a  climax  of  absurdity  was  reached.  The  intelligent  gentle- 
man whose  professional  occupation  had  previously  been  limited  to  the 
study  and  practice  of  horticulture,  and  to  whom  it  had  occurred  that 
the  objects  collected  for  international  display  would  be  better  lodged 
in  an  enormous  greenhouse  than  anywhere  else,  was  professionally  con- 
sulted as  an  architect  and  employed  on  the  restoration  of  a  church  ! 

It  did  not  take  many  years  to  dissipate  the  dreams  of  universal 
philanthropy  to  which  the  Exhibition  scheme  had  given  rise,  and  with 
these  dreams  the  charming  visions  of  a  glass-and-iron  architecture  may 
also  be  said  to  have  vanished.  If  the  structural  details  of  the  Crystal 
Palace  teach  us  any  lesson  it  is  that  they  are  strictly  limited  in  applica- 
tion to  the  purpose  for  which  that  building  was  erected,  and  that  even 
for  such  a  purpose  their  adoption  is  not  unattended  by  drawbacks. 

The  Gothic  Revival  itself  was  on  the  whole  but  little  affected  by  the 
great  event  of  185  r.  Any  advantage  which  may  have  been  derived 
from  the  scheme  in  its  supposed  encouragement  of  art  manufacture  was 
more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  abundant  opportunities  it  afforded 
for  the  cultivation  of  bad  taste.  Crace's  furniture,  the  specimens  of 
stone  and  wood  carving  by  Myers,  Hardman's  Mediaeval  metal-work 
and  stained  glass,  and  Minton's  encaustic  tiles  came  in  for  some  ad- 
miration, and  showed  in  many  instances  Pugin's  untiring  industry  in 
design.  But  all  these  objects  might  have  been  seen  as  well  elsewhere, 
and  in  this  department  of  art  at  least  England   found   nothing  to  learn 


3    *" 


S         if 


K 


Messrs.  Deane  and  Woodward.  283 


from  the  Continent.  The  specimens  of  pseudo-Gothic  furniture  and 
church  fittings  which  were  imported  from  France  and  Belgium  were 
with  a  few  exceptions  all  miserable  in  design,  and  the  more  dangerous 
in  this  respect  because  of  the  meretricious  attractions  which  many  of 
them  presented. 

The  Great  Exhibition  came  to  an  end.  ,  Not  far  from  the  site  which 
it  occupied,  and  in  order  to  pay  a  national  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
the  accomplished  Prince  who  originated  the  scheme,  a  rich  and  costly 
monument  is  now  in  course  of  erection.  It  may  also  serve  another 
purpose,  and  that  is  to  record  by  its  design  and  decoration  how  complete 
and  remarkable  a  change  has  occurred  within  the  space  of  a  few  years 
in  the  development  of  English  taste  for  architecture. 

Evidences  of  that  change  are  scattered  far  and  wide  throughout  this 
country,  but  no  single  town  exhibits  them  in  more  regular  sequence 
than  Oxford,  where,  indeed,  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  select  from 
the  University  buildings  alone  examples  illustrating  the  various  phases 
through  which  modern  Gothic  has  passed  from  its  earliest  revival 
down  to  the  present  time.  One  of  the  first-fruits  of  Mr.  Ruskin's 
teaching  is  to  be  found  there  in  the  new  Museum  of  Physical 
Sciences,  begun  in  1855  under  the  superintendence  of  Messrs.  Deane 
and  Woodward,  and  since  carried  on  at  intervals.  However  much 
opinions  may  vary  as  to  the  general  effect  of  this  building,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  it  exhibits  in  its  details  far  more  originality  and  grace  than 
were  to  be  found  in  most  contemporary  examples  of  secular  Gothic. 
The  principal  front  consists  of  two  stories  with  an  attic  lighted  by 
triangular  dormers  in  the  roof.  This  block  is  divided  in  the  centre  by 
a  tower  carried  to  the  height  of  three  stories,  and  surmounted  by  a 
wedge-shaped  roof.  Under  the  tower  is  the  main  entrance,  spanned  by 
an  acutely-pointed  arch,  richly  decorated  with  carving  in  low  relief  and 
voussoirs  of  dark  brown  stone  and  grey  marble  placed  alternately,  but 
at  irregular  intervals.  The  first-floor  windows  partake  of  an  early 
Italian  character.      They  are  divided  into  two  lights  by  slender  marble 


284 


The  Oxford  Museum. 


columns,  the  arch  head  above  being  pierced  with  circular  lights  delicately 
cusped.     The  spandrils  of  the  tracery  and  the  arch  mouldings  which 

enclose  them  are  filled  with 
relievi  of  foliage  and  animals 
arranged  with  considerable  care 
and  executed  with  great  refine- 
ment. 

The  roof,  gay  with  purple 
and  greyish-green  slates  sym- 
metrically disposed,  contrasts 
admirably  with  the  rich  cream 
colour  of  the  Bath  stone 
masonry,  which  in  its  turn  is 
relieved  by  marble  of  various 
hues  introduced  in  the  details 
above  mentioned.  The  chro- 
matic effect  of  the  whole  seen 
\  on  a  bright  sunny  day  sur- 
rounded  by  natural  verdure 
and  with  a  blue  sky  overhead, 
is  charming.  The  laboratory 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  prin- 
cipal front  is  suggestive  in  its  general  outline  of  the  well-known  Glas- 
tonbury kitchen.  This  building,  together  with  the  residence  and  offices 
recently  erected  on  the  other  side  of  the  Museum,  helps  to  break  the 
external  formality  of  the  Museum  front  and  to  lend  the  composition 
a  picturesqueness  which  is  more  English  than  its  individual  features. 

It  is,  however,  in  the  internal  arrangement  of  the  Museum  that,  we 
trace  most  distinctly  the  influence  of  those  principles  which  the  author  of 
1  The  Seven  Lamps  '  so  earnestly  strove  to  inculcate.  Just  as  the  Pre- 
Raphaelites — while  they  existed  as  a  school — aimed  at  representing  the 
heroic  incidents  of  ordinary  life,  so  those  architects  who  accepted  Mr. 


Ironwork  in  the  Oxford  Museum. 


285 


Ruskin's  guidance  endeavoured  to  realise  beauty  in  their  art  not  by 
literally  reproducing  the  decorative  features  of  Mediaeval  work,  but  by 
investing  with  its  spirit  as  far  as  possible  the  skill  of  modern  workman- 
ship and  the  materials  of  modern  use.     A  large  quadrangle  had  to  be 
roofed  with  glass  and  iron — and  the  difficulty  was  to  do  this  without 
limiting  the  design   to  the   merely  structural    features  of  the   Crystal 
Palace  or  condescending  to  the  vulgar  details  of  a  railway  terminus. 
Under  these  circumstances  Messrs.  Deane  and  Woodward  did  their  best 
to  Gothicise  their  ironwork,  and  though  the  attempt  displayed    great 
ingenuity  it  can  hardly  be  called  successful.    The  system  of  construction 
adopted  may  be    good    of   its    kind.      The  system  of  ornamentation 
adopted  may  be  good  of  its  kind.    But  the  two  are  not  happily  associated. 
As  a  rule  it  is  far  better  to  use  wrought  or  beaten  metal  than  cast  metal 
for  decoration;  but  whether  in  enriching  the 
capital  of  an  iron  column  the  same  type  of 
decorative  mask  should  be  used  as   is  ordi- 
narily employed  for  a  stone  capital   may  be 
questioned.      In   the   latter   case    we    know 
that  the  carved  work  represents  a  portion  of 
its  integral  strength  more  or  less  weakened 
by  the  parts  cut  away.      But  in  the  case  of 
an    iron    capital    to  which   beaten    metal   is 
subsequently    attached,    as  at    the    Oxford 
Museum,    we    feel  that  the  ornaments    of 
leaves  and    flowers,    however    excellent    in 
themselves,  are  mere  additions   having  no 
sort  of  relation  to  the  constructive  feature 
which    they    adorn    and   claiming   a    raison 
d'etre  of  scarcely   higher    pretensions   than 
the  plaster  enrichments  of  a  brick  cornice. 
They  appear  unnecessary,  not  because   they  are   simply   decorative   (a 
reason  which   would  condemn   half  the  old  forms  of  ornamental   iron- 


-V~_T. 


286 


Carved  Capitals  in  the  Museum. 


work)  but  because  they  are  confessedly  applied  decorations  to  a  feature 
whose  very  form  is  regulated  bv  practical  considerations.  Objections 
of  an  analogous  kind  might  be  raised  to  the  constructive  arches  formed 
of  iron  rods  in  the  same  quadrangle.  Iron  rods  have  their  use  as  ties 
or  struts,  but  the  metal  requires  a  different  section  when  it  is  required 
to  do  service  as  an  arch. 

Utilitarians  might  suggest  that  the  whole  of  the  quadrangle  could 
have  been  roofed  with  half  the  number  of  columns  employed,  and 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  strictly  architectural  portion  of  the 
court — viz.  the  double-storied  galleries  by  which  it  is  surrounded — 
would  have  gained  rather  than  lost  in  effect  by  such  an  arrangement. 

These  galleries  take  the  form  of  arcaded  cloisters  on  the  ground- 
floor  level,  the  arches  being  pointed  and  their  voussoirs  formed  of  dark 
and  light  stone  used  alternately.  Against  the  piers  which  carry  them 
are  placed  life-size  statues  of  eminent  men  of  science  by  Durham, 
Armstead,  &c,  many  executed  with  great  vigour  but  some  exhibiting 

the  almost  insuperable  difficulty  which 
the  sculptor  has  to  encounter  in  dealing 
with  modern  costume.  The  decorative 
carving  of  the  capitals  is  executed  with 
great  care,  and  consists  in  the  strictly 
realistic  representation  of  various  types 
of  plants  and  tree  foliage,  many  ex- 
cellently adapted  for  the  purpose,  some 
hardly  so  successful.  But  in  these  and 
other  instances  we  must  remember  that 
the  character  of  these  details  and  the 
manner  of  their  execution  were  tentative. 
They  represent  one  of  the  earliest  de- 
partures from  the  beaten  track  of 
architectural  design.  The  result  is  perhaps  not  all  that  could  be 
wished,   but  it  indicates  an  association    of  thought,  of  ingenuity,  and 


xr.ct.se 


Christ  Church  and  Merton  College.  287 


operative  skill  which  reflects  great  credit  on  all  concerned  in  its 
realisation. 

Of  the  new  buildings  designed  for  Christ  Church  at  Oxford  by  Mr. 
Deane  it  is  scarcely  fair  to  judge  until  the  carved  work  with  which 
many  of  the  details  are  to  be  enriched  has  been  executed.  At  present 
partly  owing  to  their  unfinished  state,  and  partly  owing  to  the  peculiarities 
of  design  in  which  the  architect  has  indulged,  the  effect  of  the  work  is 
rather  quaint  than  beautiful.  The  front  facing  the  Broad  Walk  is  in 
many  respects  finely  proportioned,  and  though  it  must  have  been  no 
easy  matter  to  give  variety  to  an  unbroken  elevation  of  such  ex- 
ceptional length,  this  has  been  secured  by  an  ingenious  grouping  of  the 
windows.  The  occasional  introduction  of  coloured  stone  in  bands 
and  the  flat  character  of  the  carved  foliage  which  enriches  a  few 
capitals  and  corbels  of  this  facade  is  suggestive  of  the  same  influence 
as  that  indicated  in  the  design  of  the  Museum,  but  the  details  of  the 
latter  building  exhibit  far  more  refinement. 

Mr.  Butterfield's  additions  to  Merton  College  are  chiefly  remarkable 
for  their  studied  simplicity.  But  here,  as  in  almost  every  work  carried 
out  by  this  architect,  one  may  note  his  inclination  to  oddities.  The 
corbelling  of  the  chimney  shaft  on  a  wall  facing  the  meadow  is  extremely 
whimsical,  but  it  has  the  advantage  of  setting  his  seal  on  the  design. 
No  one  else  would  have  attempted  so  bold  an  experiment. 

The  tendency  to  deviate  from  English  types  of  Gothic  was  for  a 
long  while,  and  indeed  is  still,  far  less  marked  in  ecclesiastical  than  in 
domestic  architecture,  and  for  obvious  reasons. 

Ancient  examples  of  the  latter  class  are  rare  in  this  country,  and  those 
which  exist  would  in  the  majority  of  cases  be  unsuitable  for  literal  re- 
production. The  character  of  style  in  such  buildings  has  always  been 
directly  affected  by  the  social  requirements  and  conditions  of  the  period 
in  which  they  were  erected.  Days  of  civil  strife  necessitated  the  feudal 
castle,  baronial  splendour  and  hospitality  were  typified  in  the  Tudor 
mansion,  rural  peace  and  prosperity  in  the  gabled  homestead,  commer- 


288  Domestic  and  Ecclesiastical  Gothic. 


cial  welfare  in  the  city  hall  ;  but  habits  of  life  in  the  present  century 
differ  so  radically  from  those  of  our  ancestors  that  it  would  scarcely  be 
possible  to  select  whether  for  town  or  country,  whether  for  a  nobleman's 
seat  or  a  suburban  villa,  any  authentic  model  of  Mediaeval  Architecture 
which  in  plan  and  internal  arrangements  should  exactly  fulfil  our  pre- 
sent notions  of  comfort  and  convenience.  And  modifications  of  plan 
involve  modifications  of  proportion.  The  increased  height  of  rooms, 
the  altered  distribution  of  doors  and  windows,  the  improved  modes  of 
heating  and  ventilating,  and  in  London  the  stringent  regulations  of  the 
Building  Act,  all  present  obstacles  to  a  strict  revival  of  national  Gothic 

in  the  antiquarian  sense  of  the  word — for  a  modern   residence.     The 

departure  from  early  precedent  in  this  respect  became  almost  a  neces- 
sity, and  there  was  on  that  account  a  less  urgent  plea  for  the  retention 
of  those  constructive  and  ornamental  details  which  are  specially  charac- 
teristic of  old  English  work. 

In  the  case  of  Ecclesiastical  Architecture  it  was  different.  The  Re- 
formation, it  is  true,  had  introduced  changes  which  for  a  while  deprived 
many  features  in  an  English  church  of  their  old  use  or  significance, 
and  it  is  probable  that  if  buildings  of  any  importance  had  been  erected 
for  the  purpose  of  public  worship  in  the  days  of  Puritan  rule,  they 
would  have  retained  little  or  no  resemblance  to  the  Mediaeval  type. 
But  the  Puritans  confined  their  zeal  to  works  of  destruction,  and  in 
course  of  time,  when  a  reactionary  feeling  set  in  and  brought  about  a 
better  state  of  things,  the  builders  of  churches  returned  to  the  ancient 
model.  In  later  times  it  was  still  held  in  respect,  though  the  intro- 
duction of  Italian  Architecture  prevented  its  imitation.  But  with  the 
modern  High  Church  party  faith  in  the  merits  of  English  Gothic  rose 
to  the  level  of  a  religious  creed,  and  for  years  those  who  favoured  the 
re-establishment  of  Anglican  ritual  and  those  who  encouraged  the 
revival  of  national  architecture  made  common  cause. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  general  plan  of  a  Mediaeval  church  to  pre- 
vent it  from  being  adopted  in  its  integrity  for  modern  service.      That 


Church  Architects   1850  to   i860.  289 


eastern  portion  of  the  aisles  which  had  formerly  been  occupied  by 
chapels  dedicated  respectively  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  the  Holy 
Sacrament  was  easily  made  available  for  the  organ  on  the  north  side,  or 
additional  sittings  on  the  left.  With  this  single  exception,  every- 
thing could  and  did  remain  in  statu  quo.  The  altar  retained  its  old 
position.  The  choir  stalls  were  again  filled  with  occupants.  The 
sedilia,  the  piscina,  and  even  the  credence  table,  served  their  original 
purpose  :  the  tower  rang  out  its  peal  of  bells  :  the  pulpit,  the  font,  and 
entrance  porches,  were  as  much  needed  in  the  modern  English  church  as 
they  had  been  five  centuries  ago.  And  all  these  features  could  be  copied, 
and  copied  literally,  from  old  examples.  There  was  no  need  (as  in  the 
case  of  domestic  architecture),  to  alter  the  internal  arrangement  of  the 
building  in  respect  of  dimensions,  proportion,  or  the  admission  of  light, 
whilst  in  all  minor  details,  such  as  the  distribution  of  seats,  the  fittings 
of  doors  and  windows,  the  roofing  and  paving  of  the  edifice,  the  work 
of  our  ancestors  presented  an  excellent  and  all-sufficient  model  for 
imitation. 

Hence  it  happened,  that  when,  in  consequence  of  Mr.  Ruskin's 
teaching,  a  foreign  element  was  introduced  in  the  designs  for  houses  and 
civic  buildings  of  a  Mediaeval  character,  the  general  aspect  of  ecclesias- 
tical architecture  was  for  some  time  scarcely,  if  at  all,  affected  by  the 
new  doctrines  of  taste. 

In  1850  and  i860,  however,  the  list  of  English  architects  who  devoted 
themselves  more  specially  to  the  building  and  restoration  of  churches 
was  largely  increased.  Messrs.  E.  Christian,  J.  Clarke,  S.  S.  Teulon, 
and  J.  H.  Hakewill,  were  among  those  who  followed,  with  more  or  less 
tendency  to  individual  peculiarities,  in  the  footsteps  of  Mr.  Scott ;  while 
a  certain  number  of  younger  men,  including  Messrs.  G.  E.  Street, 
H.  Woodyer,  W.  White,  and  G.  F.  Bodley,  showed  an  early  inclination 
to  strike  out  in  a  new  line  for  themselves. 

■In  1853  Mr.  Street,  whose  name  was  well  known  at  Oxford  both  as 
a  local  member  of  the  profession  and  as  a  contributor  to  the  literature  of 

u 


290 


St.  Peter's  Churchy  Bournemouth. 


his  art,  was  employed  by  the  bishop  of  the  diocese  to  prepare  designs 
for  the  Theological  College  at  Cuddesdon,  near  Wheatley,  a  large 
work,  including  the  usual  accommodation  for  students,  a  dining  hall, 
common  room,  oratory,  and  rooms  for  a  vice-principal.  The  building 
was  picturesquely  planned,  and  met  with  favourable  criticism  at  the 
time,  though  exception  was  made  to  the  un-English  character  of  some 


of  its  details.  The  remodelling  of  St.  Peter's  Church  at  Bournemouth 
was  another  of  Mr.  Street's  early  achievements,  or  at  least  that  portion 
which  was  finished  at  the  time,  for  the  works  have  been  carried  on  since 
at  various  intervals.  The  original  structure  had  no  pretensions  to  age 
or  architectural  excellence,  but  it  has  been  gradually  transformed  into  a 


All  Saints    Church,  Not  ting  Hill.  291 


very  interesting  example  of  the  Revival.  The  decorative  sculpture  of 
the  reredos  is  an  instance  of  this  architect's  fertility  of  invention  in  the 
treatment  of  detail.  The  accompanying  woodcut  will  serve  to  show  the 
general  character  of  this  feature,  though  it  is  far  from  conveying  an 
adequate  idea  of  the  beauty  and  refinement  of  the  carving. 

About  the  same  period  Mr.  White  began  the  large  church  dedicated 
to  All  Saints  at  Notting  Hill,  a  work   exhibiting   great  cleverness  in 
design  allied  with  a  certain    inclination   to    peculiarities  which  are   not 
always  justified  by  their  effect.     Among  these   may   be   reckoned  the 
treatment  of  the  chancel   roof  and  sedilia,  and,  externally,  the  gable 
turrets  of  the  north  transept.      These,  however,  are  but  details.     By  a 
judicious  attention  to  the  proportions  of  the  interior  Mr.  White  has 
managed  to  secure  for  it  a  great  appearance  of  size.     The  fenestration 
of  the  north  aisle,  though  eccentric,  is  undeniably  picturesque,  and  the 
western  tower,  with  its  octagonal  belfry  stage,  makes  a  remarkable  and 
interesting  feature  in  the  composition.     The  chancel  of  this  church  has 
been  since  decorated  with  a  fine  mural  painting  of  the  Annunciation  by 
Mr.  F.  Holiday,  an  engraving  of  which  forms  the  frontispiece  to  this 
volume.     This  artist  is  one  of  a  very  few,  the  style  of  whose  decorative 
works  occupies   a   middle  place  between  the   archaisms   of  the  ultra- 
mediseval  school  and  the  quasi-classical,  or  more  frequently  naturalistic 
treatment  of  other  painters.     While  completely  free  from  affectations, 
whether  of  an  archaeological  or  sentimental  kind,  his  designs  possess  a 
certain  quality  of  saintly  grace  which  exactly  fits  them  for  ecclesiastical 
decoration,  and  it  is  in  this  field  of  art  that  his  abilities  have  found  most 
successful  expression. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  the  revival  of  modern  Gothic  Archi- 
tecture has  not  been  more  intimately  associated  with  mural  painting, 
for  the  adornment  not  only  of  our  churches  but  of  our  private  dwelling 
houses  and  public  institutions.  Half,  and  less  than  half  the  money 
lavished  on  fashionable  upholstery,  gilded  cornices,  and  rococo  furni- 
ture, bought  for  mere  show  and  luxury  and  affording   no  real  pleasure 


U    2 


292  Character  of  Mr.   White's  Designs. 


to  anyone,  would  pay  for  a  band  of  figure  subjects  round  many  a 
drawing-room  wall.  For  the  price  of  a  single  easel-picture  (as  such 
works  are  now  valued)  many  a  wealthy  man  might  secure  the  services 
of  a  Marks,  a  Holiday,  or  an  Albert  Moore  to  enliven  every  room-in 
his  house  with  pictured  allegory  or  old-world  lore. 

It  happens  that  the  chancel  of  another  church  designed  by  Mr.  White, 
viz.  that  of  Lyndhurst,  in  Hampshire,  is  also  decorated  by  an  eminent 
artist,  Mr.  F.  Leighton,  R.A.,  whose  mural  painting,  though  it  may 
not  accord  with  the  architecture  around  it,  is  nevertheless  a  very   fine 
work  of  its  kind.     The  church  itself  exhibits  evidence  of  Mr.   White's 
ingenuity  and  vigour  in  design  side  by  side  with  those  eccentricities  of 
form   either  structural   or   decorative   which   distinguish   nearly   every 
building  that  he  has  erected.     How  far  these  eccentricities  result  from 
individual  caprice,  whether  they  are  the  consequence  of  some  peculiarity 
in  early  studies,  or  whether  they  arise  from  an  endeavour  to  escape  from 
conventionalities   in  design   it   is   impossible  to  say,  and  perhaps  Mr. 
White  himself  could  scarcely  explain.      If  they  are  to  be  judgedTairly 
they  must  be  judged  on  their  own   merits,  and  quite  apart  from  the 
question  as  to  how  far  they  indicate  a  departure  from  ancient  precedent. 
When   an  architect,  as  in  the  case  of  Lyndhurst   Church,  chooses  to 
introduce   a  large  dormer  window  in  the  clerestory,  we  ought   to   try 
and   foraet    that  in  such   a   situation   the  latter   feature' is  an  ^unusual 
one,  and  simply  ask  ourselves  first  whether   it  serves  its  purpose,  and 
secondly   whether  it   helps   the  composition.     If  these*  conditions   are 
fulfilled  it  is   sheer  pedantry  to   raise  further  objections.     Nothing  is 
easier  than  to  design  a  church  which  shall  be  perfectly  orthodox  in  plan 
and  general  appearance  from  an  ecclesiological  point  of  view,  nothing 
more  difficult  than  to  design  one  which  shall  be  effective  and  interesting 
in  an  artistic  sense.     London,  for  instance,  at  the  present  time  swarms 
with  churches  built  within  the  last  twenty  years,  and  models  of  archi- 
tectural propriety — correct  in  the   length    of  their   chancels,  correct  in 
the  height  of  their  naves,  correct  in  the  width  of  their  aisles,  and  fre- 


-^7  ~;  •  -  :^£0g~'' 


,.':■'    rs.A  ,-.l(.i,t 


Lyndhurst  Parish  Church. 

If.     White,    F.S.A.,    Architect,    1858. 


Lyndhurst  Church,  Hampshire.  293 


quently  (though  not  so  often)  correct  in  the  proportion  of  their  towers 
and  spires.  But  of  how  many  can  it  be  said  that  they  are  the  work 
of  an  artist's  hand,  or  worth  entering  to  examine  ?  The  truth  is 
that  nineteen  out  of  every  twenty  are  absolutely  commonplace,  and 
stand  in  about  the  same  relation  to  architectural  art  as  the  sickly 
genre  pictures  of  pseudo-cottage  life  and  portraits  of  gentlemen 
which  crowd  the  walls  of  an  annual  exhibition  can  claim  to  the  art  of 
painting. 

An  architect  of  more  than  average  ability  naturally  endeavours  to 
rise  above  this  level.  He  alters  proportions  which  (as  Mr.  Ruskin  ha.s 
truly  pointed  out)  are  infinite  in  their  variety.  He  modifies  the  form 
of  constructive  features,  he  devises  new  combinations  of  parts,  and  he 
invents  new  types  of  ornament.  If  he  can  do  all  this  and  yet  retain 
the  spirit  of  old  work  (on  which  we  cannot  hope  to  improve)  he  will  do 
well.  But  if  he  sets  himself  recklessly  to  invert  conditions  of  design 
which  owe  their  origin  to  practical  reasons,  if  he  changes  round  for 
square  and  square  for  round  merely  for  the  sake  of  change,  if,  in  short, 
he  will  be  original  at  any  price,  we  may  be  sure  that  he  must  fail. 
Mr.  White's  work  is  never  of  this  thoughtless  kind,  but  occasionally 
it  seems  to  want  repose. 

The  interior  of  Lyndhurst  Church  exhibits  many  peculiarities,  and 
among  them  is  the  extremely  naturalistic  treatment  of  carved  foliage  in 
the  capitals.  There  is  no  more  subtle  question  of  architectural  taste  than 
that  which  is  involved  in  the  design  of  such  details.  Probably  the  most 
noble  type  of  decorative  sculpture  is  that  wherein  the  forms  of  animal 
life  and  of  vegetation  are  found  to  be  suggested  rather  than  imitated.  But 
the  secret  of  this  abstractive  treatment  is  precisely  that  which  our  wood 
carvers  and  stone  carvers  have  lost.  It  belonged  to  the  days  of  pure  Gothic 
art,  and  has  never  been  satisfactorily  revived.  The  modern  designer, 
therefore,  is  compelled  to  follow  one  of  three  courses.  He  may  repro- 
duce line  for  line  and  leaf  for  leaf  the  grotesque  forms  and  convention- 
alised foliage  of  old  sculpture,  or  he  may  do  his  best  to  copy  nature 


294 


Details  of  Lyndhurst  Church. 


literally,  or  he  may  omit  all  representation  of  natural  objects,  and  con- 
tent himself  with  mouldings.  In  the  case  of  Lyndhurst  Church  Mr. 
White  took  the  second  course,  and  if  we  accept  the  principle  which 
guided  him  in  this  choice,  we  cannot  but  admit  that  the  work  of  its 
kind  is  excellent. 


The  same  year  in  which  Lyndhurst  Church  was  begun  (1858),  found 
Mr.  G.  G.  Scott  employed  in  the  rebuilding  of  Exeter  College  Chapel 
at  Oxford.  Although  this  stately  building  exhibits  here  and  there,  es- 
pecially in  its  decorative  details,  evidence  that  its  designer  was  not 
uninfluenced  by  the  now  rapidly-increasing  taste  for  Continental  Gothic 
there  is  nothing  in  the  design  which  suggests  a  thorough  conversion  to 
the  new  doctrines.  For  its  external  effect  the  Chapel  chiefly  depends  on 
its  lofty  proportions,  on  the  varied  character  of  the  window  tracery,  on 
its  massive  buttresses,  and  on  the  highly  ornate  treatment  of  the  south 
porch.  In  place  of  the  ordinary  dripstone  over  the  window  arches  a 
hollow  moulding  is  carried  round,  enriched  with  carved  foliage.  The 
topmost  stage  of  each  buttress  is  provided  with  a  pedestal  and  canopy 
for  a  statue,  but  at  present  only  a  few  are  executed.      The  east  end  ot 


South  Porch  of  Exeter  College  Chapel,  Oxford. 
G.  See//,  A'./.,  Architect,  1858 


Exeter  College  Chapel  and  Library 


295 


the  building  terminates  in  a  semi-octagonal  apse,  while  towards  the  west 
and  rising  from  the  roof  ridge  a  lofty  wooden  belfry  lends  grace  and 
dignity  to  the  design. 

It  is,  however,  the  interior  of  the  chapel  which  is  most  impressive  by 
reason  of  its  elegant  proportions,  the  refinement  of  its  detail,  and  the 
sumptuous  nature  of  its  embellishments.     The  groining  is  particularly 
well  studied,  and  its  elance  character   gives  it  an   appearance  of  great 
strength.     The  engaged  columns  from  which  it  springs  are  supported 
on  richly-sculptured  corbels.      Both   in 
design    and    execution    these    features 
reach    a    degree    of  excellence    rarely 
approached    in    modern    work.       The 
whole  of  the  apse  is  filled  with  stained 
glass    by    Messrs    Clayton    and    Bell, 
admirable  in  design  as  far  as  draughts- 
manship is  concerned,    but    somewhat 
crude    in    colour.     The    apse    wall    is 
arcaded  below  the  windows,  each  com- 
partment    being     filled    with     figures 
executed  in  coloured  mosaic  work  on 
a  gold  background.     A  stone-  screen, 
consisting  of  open  arches  on  coupled 
columns,     divides     the     chapel    from 
the    ante-chapel.     The   decorative   carving  of  this    screen,  as    indeed 
throughout  the  building,  is  very  delicate  though  perhaps  a  little  too 
much  accentuated  here  and  there. 

The  Library  at  Exeter  College  (also  designed  by  Mr.  Scott)  was 
erected  a  year  or  two  before  the  chapel.  Its  principal  external  features 
are  the  mural  arcuation  of  the  main  story,  and  the  four  solid-looking 
stone  gablets  which  rise  from  its  parapet  and  enclose  windows  lighting 
the  library  roof.  The  internal  fittings  of  the  building  are  excellent 
of   their    kind    and    show    how    easily,    in   judicious   hands,    modern 


296  Progress  of  the  Revival. 

furniture  may  be  invested  with  a  Mediaeval  character  without  becoming 
either  monumental  or  inconvenient. 

If  the  evidence  of  Mr.  Scott's  professional  skill  rested  on  his  works 
at  Oxford  alone  it  would  be  sufficiently  established.  An  architect  who 
thirty  years  ago  could  design  the  Martyr's  Memorial — ordinary  as  its 
design  may  now  appear — might  fairly  be  expected  to  play  a  prominent 
part  in  the  Gothic  Revival.  An  architect  who  a  dozen  years  ago  could 
design  and  carry  out  such  a  work  as  Exeter  College  Chapel  must  be 
accredited  with  the  power  of  keeping  pace  with  the  steadily  advancing 
ability  of  his  contemporaries.  It  has  been  said  of  Mr.  Scott's  later 
work  that  it  does  not  rise  above  the  level  of  popular  appreciation.  To 
this  he  would  probably  reply  that  those  examples  of  architectural  design 
which  exhibit  greater  originality  are  the  productions  of  men  who  in 
many  instances  differ  entirely  from  each  other  as  to  the  principles  of 
beauty  in  their  art,  and  that  while  such  works  have  been  exposed  to 
severe  criticism,  his  own  have  escaped  direct  censure. 

While  Mr.  Scott  was  year  by  year  adding  to  his  reputation  by  the 
design  of  churches  such  as  those  at  Nottingham,  Cirencester,  Doncaster, 
and  Halifax,  other  architects  who  shared  his  enthusiasm  for  Mediaeval 
art  were  not  idle.  Salvin  was  employed  to  restore  or  rebuild  many  an 
ancient  castle — a  class  of  work  for  which  his  studies  had  eminently 
qualified  him.  Hardwick  was  reaping  the  fruits  of  his  labours  at  Lin- 
coln's Inn  in  the  form  of  numerous  commissions  for  Tudor  mansions. 
St.  Aidan's  Theological  College,  near  Birkenhead,  was  being  executed 
from  the  joint  design  of  Messrs.  T.  Wyatt  and  D.  Brandon.  Mr. 
E.  Christian  was  building  churches  in  Kent.  Mr.  J.  Prichard  found 
favour  and  a  good  practice  in  Wales.  The  Roman  Catholics  of  the 
northern  counties  supplied  ample  occupation  for  Messrs.  Hadfield  and 
Weightman;  while  in  the  west  of  England — not  locally  remarkable  for 
the  Mediaeval  sentiment  of  its  population — Mr.  H.  Woodyer  and 
Mr.  J.  Norton  made  many  converts  to  Gothic,  and  St.  Aubyn's 
Devonport  churches  were  confessed  to  be  models  of  excellence. 


The  Battle  of  the  Styles.  297 


It  was  lucky  that  the  Revival  at  this  period  found  able  championship, 
for  it  had  still  to  incur  much  opposition.  Many  architects  were  still 
living  who  had  devoted  themselves  from  their  earliest  youth  to  the  study 
and  practice  of  Italian  architecture,  and  it  was  impossible  to  expect 
them  in  middle  life  to  renounce  those  principles  of  their  art  which  had 
guided  them  to  fame  and  fortune.  Some,  indeed,  willingly  conceded 
the  point  that  for  ecclesiastical  purposes  Gothic  might  be  appropriately 
adopted ;  but  neither  they  nor  that  portion  of  the  public  who  shared 
their  views  could  be  brought  to  believe  in  its  general  application  to 
domestic  buildings  and  still  less  to  structures  of  a  public  and  municipal 
kind. 

It  was  ingeniously  argued  that  to  return  to  the  architecture  of  our 
forefathers  was  as  absurd  as  to  return  to  their  dress,  their  literature,  and 
their  habits  of  life  ;  that  inasmuch  as  no  one  would  dream  of  adopting 
the  orthography  of  Chaucer's  time,  so  no  one  could  venture  to  recom- 
mend that  a  house  in  the  nineteenth  century  should  assume  the  appear- 
ance of  one  erected  four  centuries  ago.  To  this  the  Mediaeval  party 
retorted  with  reason  that  there  was  more  affectation  in  employing 
Gothic  for  churches  and  Italian  for  dwelling-houses  than  there  would 
be  in  readopting  Gothic  altogether ;  that  in  the  best  periods  of  all  art, 
whether  Greek  or  English,  one  style  sufficed  for  all  purposes,  whether 
religious  or  secular,  and  that  to  use  one  style  for  a  church  and  another 
for  a  dwelling-house  was,  in  the  abstract,  as  absurd  as  printing  our 
Bibles  in  black-letter  to  distinguish  them  from  ordinary  books.  It  was 
moreover  urged  that  architecture,  as  an  art,  is  subject  to  the  condition 
of  all  arts  which  in  modern  life  are  necessarily  deficient  in  originality, 
but  that  English  Gothic  was  a  national  inheritance,  which  was  more 
than  could  be  said  of  pseudo-classic  design.  With  arguments  such 
as  these  and  countless  others  the  Battle  of  the  Styles  was  carried  on  by 
many  who  forgot,  on  both  sides,  that  although  reason  may  explain  and 
even  justify  a  taste,  it  must  be  possessed  before  it  can  be  either 
justified  or  explained.     And  possession  is  nine  points  of  the  law. 


298  Deficiency  of  Public  Interest. 


CHAPTER   XVIL 

O  one  who  has  watched  the  progress  of  modern  architecture  in 
this  country  can  fail   to  be   struck  with  the  enormous  dis- 
^1      advantage    under   which    it    labours,   when    compared   with 
other  arts,   in   regard   to   popular   interest.      Many    reasons  might    be 
assigned  for   the  apathy  and   ignorance  which  it  has  been  its  fate  to 
endure  from   the  public.     Severed  as  it  was  for  centuries  from  asso- 
ciation, except  in  rare  instances,  with  the  sister  arts  of  painting  and 
sculpture,  people  even  of  reputed  taste  came  gradually  to  regard  it  as 
a  useful  science,  which  enabled  them  to  live  in  comfort— sometimes  in 
luxury — but  one  that  was  incapable  of  appealing  to  such  a  sense  of 
beauty  or  creating  such  emotions  of  pleasure  as  are  awakened  by  the 
sight  of  a  skilful  picture  or  a  noble  statue.      Nothing  in  modern  days 
has  done  more  to  educate  national  taste  in  pictorial  art  than  the  esta- 
blishment of  annual  exhibitions,  but  from   that  advantage  architecture 
is  necessarily  debarred.     The  most  cleverly  tinted  drawing,  the  most 
perfectly  finished  model  can   give  at  best   but   a   feeble   idea  of  any 
executed  structure.     It  is  a  suggestion  of  the  work,  not  the  work  itself. 
When,  therefore,   the   Royal   Academy    (which,    by  the   way,   was 
established  as  an  academy  of  arts  and   not  of  painting  only)  annually 
devoted  one  of  its  rooms  to  the  exhibition  of  architectural  designs,  it 
is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  that  they  were  passed  hastily  over  by  people 
who  were   deeply  interested  in   the   historical   pictures   and   landscape 
subjects  by  which  they  were  surrounded.     And,  as  time  went  on,  even 
this  opportunity  of  drawing   public  attention  to    contemporary  archi- 
tecture  was    curtailed.      Crayon    portraits    and    water-colour   sketches 


llic  Architectural  Exhibition.  299 


gradually  intruded  on  the  small  space  conceded  to  architects,  who  felt 
at  last  that  they  ought  to  have  an  exhibition  of  their  own.  In  1852 
the  experiment  was  tried  under  the  patronage  of  Earl  de  Grey,  at  that 
time  President  of  the  Institute.  It  met  with  great  success  and  laid  the 
foundation  for  that  exhibition  which  was  afterwards  annually  held  in 
Conduit  Street  under  the  management  of  a  committee. 

The  removal  of  the  Royal  Academy  to  Burlington  House,  and  the 
spacious  accommodation  thus  secured  have  since  enabled  that  body  to  set 
apart  more  room  for  the  display  of  architects'  drawings.      The  Archi- 
tectual  Exhibition  as  a  separate  scheme  has  ceased  to  exist,  but  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  in  its  early  days  it  did  good  service  to  the  Revival 
by  enabling  professional  designers   to   compare  their  work   at   a   time 
when  there  were  but  few  who  devoted  themselves  exclusively  to  Gothic, 
and  whose  example,  therefore,  had  immense  influence  on  younger  men. 
The  formation  of  an  Architectural  Museum  was  another  scheme  set 
on  foot  about  the  same  time  and  zealously  supported  by  the  Mediaeval 
party.     Singularly   enough,   among  all   the   antiquarian   collections  in 
London,  accessible   to   the  public,  there  were   none  which  included   a 
good  assortment  of  casts  from  decorative  sculpture,  and  the  few  which 
did  exist  were  almost   exclusively  taken  from   classic   and   Italian   ex- 
amples.     The  advisability  of  securing  such   objects  for  the  inspection 
and  study,  not  only  of  young  architects,  but  of  art-workmen,  became 
apparent  to  all    who    knew  how   much    the   success  of  modern  Gothic 
depends  on  the  spirit  and  vigour  of  its  details.      Every  cathedral  in 
England  contained  examples  of  such   details,  but  every  cathedral  was 
not  within  reach  of  the  student.      Engravings  and   lithographs  of  such 
work  were  comparatively  useless,  but  a  careful  cast  was,  for  the  sculp- 
tor's purpose,  as  good  as  the  original.      A  few  architects  and  amateurs 
united    their   efforts   to    supply    this   deficiency.      Mr.   Scott   procured 
a  fine  collection  of  casts  from  Ely  and  Westminster.      Mr.  B.  Ferrey 
laid  Wells  under  like  contribution.      Mr.  Ruskin  imported  some  ex- 
quisite examples  from  France  and  Italy.      Messrs.  Hardwick,  Burges, 


300  The  Architectural  Museum. 

Cundy,  Clarke,  Hakewill,  and  others,  presented  various  specimens,  and 
the  Ecclesiological  Society  added  their  own  collection  to  the  rest.  For 
these  objects  a  humble  and  somewhat  inconvenient  repository  was  found 
in  Cannon  Street,  Westminster,  where  they  remained  until  constant 
additions  and  donations  increased  their  number  to  such  an  extent  that 
it  became  necessary  to  remove  them  to  South  Kensington.  In  course 
of  time  a  building  was  raised  for  their  reception  in  Bowling  Street, 
Westminster.  The  Royal  Architectural  Museum,  as  it  is  now  called, 
has  had  many  friends  and  supporters,  but  to  none  is  it  more  indebted 
than  to  Mr.  J.  Clarke,  who  for  years  has  acted  as  its  honorary  secretary, 
and  to  Sir  William  Tite,  who,  with  his  usual  liberality,  has  contributed 
largely  to  its  support. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  how  far  the  opportunities  for  study  which 
such  a  museum  as  this  affords  would  have  affected  professional 
skill  in  the  design  of  details  if  it  had  been  established  twenty  years 
earlier.  The  probability  is  that  in  such  a  case  the  class  of  examples 
selected  would  have  been  different;  but  we  may  at  least  regnrd  the 
character  of  the  present  collection  as  an  evidence  of  the  phase  which 
architectural  taste  had  entered  at  the  time  that  collection  was  made. 
For,  in  truth,  it  has  passed  during  the  Revival  through  many  phases. 
Pugin  talked  much  of  the  true  principles  of  Gothic  art,  but  he  raised 
many  buildings  which  would  scarcely  bear  the  test  of  modern  criticism. 
Pugin  is  dead,  but  the  practice  of  many  of  his  contemporaries  has 
extended  to  the  present  time,  and  in  judging  of  them  we  must  re- 
member that  their  artistic  creed  was  to  a  great  extent  modelled  on  his 
principles,  and  that  unless  we  may  be  supposed  to  have  reached  a 
climax  of  perfection,  the  most  advanced  designers  of  the  present  day 
will,  if  they  live  to  be  old  enough,  have  to  defend  their  theories  against 
the  attacks  of  a  future  generation  of  critics. 

It  has  been  the  lot  of  some  architects  to  see  many  aspects  of  the  Re- 
vival, and  of  thos^  who  have  steered  a  safe  middle  course  between  old 
errois  and  modem  heresy,  Mr.   T.  H.  Wyatt  may  be   selected  as  an 


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The  Works  of  Mr.   T.   IVyatt.  301 

example.  When  it  is  remembered  that  so  long  ago  as  in  1836  this 
gentleman  was  entrusted  with  the  restoration  and  enlargement  of  Llan- 
tarnam  Abbey  in  what  was  then  called  the  c  castellated  '  taste,  and  that 
he  only  recently  designed  and  executed  the  Italian  Gothic  residence  of 
Capel  Manor,  in  Kent,  for  Mr.  F.  Austen,  his  experience  as  a  designer 
may  be  said  to  extend  over  a  wide  range  of  time  and  style.  Nor  is  it 
limited  to  the  field  of  domestic  architecture.  In  addition  to  numerous 
churches  in  Wales  of  a  simple  but  picturesque  character,  which  he  has 
designed,  and  including  that  of  Glanogwen,  near  Bangor,  he  erected 
several  in  Wiltshire.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  one  in  Sa- 
vernake  Forest,  built  at  the  cost  of  Lord  Ailesbury  in  i860,  and 
remarkable  for  the  ingenious  and  effective  treatment  of  the  interior, 
where  the  easternmost  bay  of  the  nave  is  divided  from  the  aisle  on 
each  side  by  a  screen  of  marble  columns  and  open  tracery.  The  church 
of  Hindon  in  the  same  county  is  of  an  earlier  type,  with  plain  lancet 
windows  and  broad  masses  of  wall  which  give  the  building  the  appear- 
ance of  great  stability.  Here  the  square  stone  spire  rising  from  a 
tower  on  the  south  is  a  novel  feature,  but  well  suited  to  the  character 
of  the  building. 

A  small  but  creditable  specimen  of  Mr.  Wyatt's  skill  is  the 
c  Herbert  Memorial  '  Church  at  Bemerton,  erected  by  subscription 
in  1858,  as  a  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  that  accomplished 
statesman  whose  blameless  life  and  zealous  devotion  to  the  Anglican 
Church  are  now  a  matter  of  history.  There  is  a  quiet  rural  sim- 
plicity about  this  work  which  fits  it  excellently  for  its  purpose. 
The  tower  is  particularly  successful,  both  in  its  proportions  and  fenes- 
tration, and  only  wants  a  spire  to  render  it  a  complete  and  graceful 
example  of  its  class. 

In  1850  Mr.  Wyatt  and  his  former  partner,  Mr.  D.  Brandon, 
were  employed  to  design  and  erect  the  church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  at 
Haverstock  Hill,  in  which  the  chancel  as  well  as  the  nave  is  provided 
with  aisles.      The  plan  by  which  this  arrangement  was  secured,  and  the 


302  Orchardleigh  Park  and  Capel  Manor. 


fact  that  the  clerestory  windows  were  of  an  earlier  date  than  the  rest 
of  the  church,  incurred  the  censure  of  the  c  Ecclesiologist,'  which  at  the 
time  and  for  many  years  afterwards  published  criticism  based  more 
on  notions  of  orthodoxy  than  on  artistic  considerations,  and  showed 
little  sympathy  with  works  unidentified  with  ritualistic  reform. 

It  is,  however,  as  the  designer  of  large  country  mansions,  rather  than 
as  a  church  architect,  that  Mr.  Wyatt  is  chiefly  known.  In  dealing 
with  them  he  has  generally  adhered  to  the  late  Tudor  type  of  archi- 
tecture, to  which  rural  squires  of  the  last  generation  gave  a  decided 
preference,  and  which  certainly  presents  many  advantages  as  to  con- 
venience of  plan  and  distribution  of  window  space. 

Carlett  Park  in  Cheshire,  the  residence  of  Mr.  John  Torr,  is  an 
example  of  this  class,  and  was  erected  in  i860.  In  comparing  this 
with  one  of  Mr.  Wyatt's  first  works — Malpass  Court,  Monmouthshire, 
built  just  twenty  years  earlier — one  is  struck  with  the  remarkable 
advance  which  has  been  made  during  that  period  in  the  study  of 
Domestic  Gothic.  The  aim  of  the  designer  has  apparently  been  the 
same  in  both  cases;  but  the  Gothic  of  1840  has  a  thin  cold  look;  the 
proportions  are  formal  and  the  details  uninteresting  ;  while  in  Carlett 
Park,  and  still  more  in  Mr.  Duckworth's  seat  of  Orchardleigh, 
Mr.  Wyatt  has  shown  of  what  artistic  treatment  the  style  is  capable. 

The  quasi-Lombardic  details  of  Capel  Manor  give  it  a  character  of 
its  own,  in  which  national  traditions  find  no  place.  But  the  picturesque 
disposition  of  its  masses,  the  rich  quality  and  colour  of  the  materials 
used  in  its  construction,  and  the  elaborate  nature  of  the  carved  work, 
combine  to  render  it  a  most  effective  structure.  Its  owner,  Mr.  F. 
Austen,  has  long  been  known  as  an  architectural  amateur,  and  it  is 
probable  that  the  general  design  is  a  reflex  of  his  own  taste  no  less  than 
that  of  Mr.  Wyatt  himself. 

Mr.  J.  L.  Pearson's  name  has  been  already  mentioned  among  the 
second  group  of  contemporary  architects,  whose  works  have  been  con- 
spicuous in  the  Revival,  and  perhaps  there  are  none  which  illustrate  so 


Treberfydd  House  and  Guar  Wood.  303 

accurately  as  his  own,  both  in  domestic  and  ecclesiastical  architecture, 
its  progress  and  the  various  influences  to  which  it  has  been  subject, 
from  the  days  of  Pugin  down  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Pearson,  like 
many  of  his  fellow -students,  began  his  professional  career  with  the 
flxed  intention  of  adhering  not  only  to  the  principles  of  Mediaeval"  art 
but  to  national  characteristics  of  style.  His  early  churches  in  York- 
shire and  other  parts  of  England,  many  of  which  were  erected  between 
1840  and  1850,  exhibit  those  characteristics  in  an  eminent  degree. 
Treberfydd  House  in  South  Wales,  which  he  designed  for  Mr.  Robert 
Raikes,  is  thoroughly  English  in  its  leading  features  and  general  com- 
position. The  plain  but  well-proportioned  mullioned  windows,  the 
modest  gables,  outlined  by  thin  coping  stones  (the  early  Revivalists 
made  them  of  clumsy  thickness),  the  battlemented  entrance  porch  and 
clustered  chimney  shafts,  all  indicate  an  attention  to  details  then  rarely 
gi'  en,  and  though  the  architect  was  at  first  limited  to  the  alteration  of 
an  existing  house,  which  must  have  considerably  taxed  his  abilities,  this 
accident  led  to  a  picturesque  treatment  of  the  design,  which  no  artist 
would  regret. 

Quar  Wood,  of  which  an  illustration  is  given,  was  begun  some 
nine  years  later,  and  shows  a  freer  and  less  conventional  distribution  of 
parts.  The  saddle-back  roof  and  open  loggia  of  the  tower  suggest  the 
influence  of  Continental  study,  which,  as  time  went  on,  considerably 
affected  Mr.  Pearson's  taste.  It  was,  however,  in  his  churches  that 
this  change  became  most  apparent.  Only  five  years  elapsed  between 
the  erection  of  St.  Mary's,  Dalton  Holme,  in  Yorkshire,  and  that  of 
Christchurch  at  Appleton-le-Moors  in  the  same  county  ;  but  the 
difference  between  them  in  point  of  style  is  extraordinary,  the  former 
being  a  pure  specimen  of  Middle  Pointed,  treated  indeed  with  more 
originality  of  detail  than  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity  at  West- 
minster, which  Mr.  Pearson  had  completed  in  1852,  but  still  quite 
northern  in  its  leading  features  and  internal  arrangement.  Christchurch, 
on  the  contrary,  is  modelled  on  the  earliest  and  severest  type  of  French 


304  Mr.  y.  L.  Pear soi  is  J  Forks. 

Gothic,  with  an  admixture  of  details  almost  Byzantine  in  character. 
The  tie-team  roof,  the  rounded  apse,  with  its  open  arcade  and  deco- 
rative painting,  the  severe  and  primitive  foliage  of  the  carved  capitals, 
and  the  square-edged  arches  which  they  carry  ;  above  all,  the  reredos, 
with  its  incised  figure-subjects  and  quaintly-treated  panels,  all  scholar- 
like and  noble  work  of  its  kind,  bear  evidence  of  the  extraordinary 
vicissitudes  through  which  modern  Gothic  has  passed  in  this  country 
during  the  last  twenty  years.* 

If  the  art  of  the  Revival  had  been  only  methodically  progressive — 
or,  more  strictly  speaking,  retrogressive — in  regard  to  the  chronological 
order  of  styles ;  if  it  had  even  consistently  assimilated  this  or  that 
foreign  element  at  a  time  and  by  common  consent ;  its  development 
would  have  been  intelligible  to  posterity.  As  it  is,  the  future  anti- 
quary may  well  despair  of  attempting  to  reduce  to  a  system  the  com- 
plicated changes  and  counterchanges  which  have  taken  place,  and 
which  are  rendered  still  more  intricate  by  individual  caprice  and  the 
accidental  circumstances  of  professional  study.  We  have  borrowed  in 
turn  from  France,  Germany,  and  Italy.  We  have  retraversed  whole 
centuries  of  time  in  search  of  the  beautiful.  We  have  adopted  one  by 
one  our  favourite  types,  and  as  time  rolled  on  we  have  one  by  one 
discarded  them. 

Only  twelve  months  after  Quar  Wood  was  begun,  Mr.  J.  Prichard  of 
LlandafF,  whose  ability  had  secured  to  him  more  than  provincial  repute 
was  called  on  to  remodel  the  country  residence  of  Mr.  John  Shirley  at 
Eatington  Park  in  Warwickshire.  This  is  at  all  times  a  difficult 
task,  especially  when  the  building  to  be  altered  has  either  no  architec- 
tural character  of  its  own,  or  possesses  one  at  variance  with  the  style 
which  it  is  expected  to  assume.     Mr.  Prichard,  however,  after  making 

*  There  is  a  mortuary  chapel,  with  a  groined  roof,  on  the  north»side  of  the  chancel, 
enriched  with  mural  decoration  of  figure  subjects  suggested  by  Psalm  cvii.  23-30,  the 
chapel  having  been  expressly  dedicated  by  the  founder  of  the  church  (Mrs.  Shepherd)  to 
the  memory  of  her  husband,  who  had  passed  nearly  his  whole  life  at  sea,  beginning  as  a 
cabin  boy  and  ending  a  very  wealthy  man,  largely  given  to  good  works.  A  tomb,  with 
recumbent  figures  of  the  founder  and  her  husband,  will  hereafter  be  placed  in  the  chapel. 


Mr.  J.  Prichard. 


5 


05 


sundry  alterations  of  a  substantial  kind,  proceeded  to  clothe  the  whole 
structure  with  what  Mr.  Ruskin  would  call  a  new  '  wall-veil.'  And 
perhaps  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  it  is  a  wall-veil  which  Mr.  Ruskin 
would  have  approved.  The  use  of  natural  colour  in  construction  was 
one  of  the  points  which  had  been  frequently  advocated  in  c  The  Seven 
Lamps '  and  in  '  The  Stones  of  Venice,'  where  also  may  be  found  many 


a  plea  for  the  introduction  of  decorative  sculpture  and  manv  an 
argument  to  prove  the  superiority  of  what  is  there  called  surface 
Gothic  over  linear  Gothic.  Whether  Mr.  Prichard  was  influenced  by 
this  advice,  or  whether  his  own  course  of  professional  study  had  led 
him  to  the  same  conclusions,  is  a  matter  of  little  moment ;  but  no  one 
who  has  examined  the  work  at  Eatington  can  doubt  that  it  embodies 


306 


Eatiugton  Park. 


in  its  design  much  of  those  principles  which  were  at  one  time  identified 
with  Mr.  Ruskin's  name. 

The  general  plan  of  the  house  was,  from  the  condition  of  things, 
English  in  arrangement,  but  the  horizontal  bands  of  colour  in  the 
masonry,  the  character  of  the  arcading  and  upper  windows,  and,  above 
all,  the  square  campanile  which  rises  from  an  internal  angle  in  the 
building,  are  all  Italian  in  character.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
cornices,  parapets,  and  enriched  string-courses,  while  the  carving  of  the 
capitals  and  some  other  details  suggest  a  French  origin.  Decorative 
sculpture  is  largely  employed  in  panels  above  the  ground-floor  win- 
dows, and  the  tympana  of  arches  over  those  on  the  main  floor  are  simi- 
larly enriched,  and  this  not  merely  after  the  rude  conventional  way  in 

which  such  work  is  usually  executed,  but 
with  figure  subjects  most  artistically  de- 
signed, and  executed  with  consummate 
skill. 

The  main  entrance  to  the  house  is 
under  a  groined  porch,  which  is  perhaps 
the  least  satisfactory  part  of  the  design, 
owing  to  the  semi-ecclesiastical  appear- 
ance which  it  assumes,  and  the  somewhat 
restless  character  of  the  details.  But 
there  are  features  in  the  building  which, 
for  merits  of  general  form,  judicious 
ornament,  and  refined  workmanship  are 
worthy  of  the  highest  praise,  especially 
when  it  is  remembered  that  the  adapta- 
tion of  the  style  to  such  a  purpose  was 
at  the  time  almost  a  complete  novelty  in 
this  country.  The  whole  work  exhibits  evidence  of  close  and  attentive 
study.  Even  the  chimneys  are  invested  with  a  picturesque  character 
which  is  all  their  own,  and  none  the  less  admirable  for  its  originality. 


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Adaptability  of  Italian  Gothic.  307 

Whatever  may  be  urged  in  support  of  national  traditions,  there  can 
be  little  doubt  that  Italian  Gothic  lends  itself  more  readily  than  most 
styles  to  the  treatment  of  a  facade  in  which  the  relation  of  wall  space  to 
aperture  is  restricted  by  modern  requirements.     The  employment  of 
almost  every  type  of  English  Gothic  except  the  latest,  involves  either  an 
anachronism  in  plan  and  elevation  or  a  sacrifice  of  those  internal  arrange- 
ments which  rightly  or  wrongly  the  modern  householder  deems  neces- 
sary   to    his    comfort.       That    quality    of   proportion    which    the    art 
architect  endeavours  to  secure  is,  however  desirable  for  the  effect  of 
his  design,  frequently  obtained  by  peculiarities  of  plan  which  seem  in- 
convenient   to   the   inmates.      On   the   other  hand,  when  an   ordinary 
modern  plan  is  retained  and  the  building  is  allowed  to   derive   what 
character  it  can  from  the  application  of  old  English  details,  the  result  is 
often  an  unreal  and  cockneyfied  appearance.     The  peculiar  merit  of 
Eatington  is  that,  while  preserving  the  general  arrangement  of  an  or- 
dinary country  house,  its  architectural  effect  is  genuine  and  unstrained. 
Even  the  use  of  sash-windows  and  plate  glass,  generally  unsatisfactory  in 
association  with  English  Gothic,  does  not  seem  out  of  place  here.     And 
it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  for  one  client  who  is  prepared  to  give  up 
his  plate-glass  sashes  on  artistic  grounds,  an  architect  may  remonstrate 
with  ninety-nine  in  vain. 

If  obstacles  to  the  Revival  were  represented  only  by  such  objections 
as  these,  they  would  speedily  have  been  overcome  ;  but  twenty  years 
ago  prejudices  of  a  more  general  character  still  lingered  against  Mediaeval 
architecture.  A  popular  idea  existed  that  it  was  suitable  for  churches 
and  almshouses,  that  it  was  tolerable  for  schools  and  parsonages,  that 
it  might  with  modifications  be  adopted  for  a  country  seat,  but  that  it 
was  utterly  unsuited  to  the  requirements  of  a  town  house  or  public 
building. 

These  delusions  Mr.  G.  G.  Scott,  both  as  an  architect  and  as  an 
author,  endeavoured  to  dissipate. 

In  London  he  found  an  opportunity  of  showing  the  public  the  capa- 


X  2 


308    Houses  in  the  Broad  Sanctuary,  J I  restminster. 

bilities  of  Gothic  for  street  architecture.  The  block  of  houses  in  the 
Broad  Sanctuary  at  Westminster,  which  he  designed  and  erected  in  1857, 
was  once  stupidly  likened,  in  parliamentary  debate,  to  a  convent. 
The  sneer,  if  it  had  any  real  significance  at  all,  was  intended  to  convey 
the  notion  that  houses  bore  a  certain  resemblance  to  conventual  build- 
ings of  the  Middle  Ages.  Now,  whatever  faults  may  be  ascribed  to 
the  design,  this  certainly  cannot  be  reckoned  one  of  them.  The  one 
pre-eminent  fact  which  asserts  itself  in  this  work  to  any  but  the  shal- 
lowest critics  is  that  the  design  as  a  whole  bears  an  unmistakably 
modern  stamp.  The  conditions  of  form  maintained  throughout  are 
those  which  not  only  fulfil  the  requirements  of  a  London  house,  but 
also  keep  within  the  intention  of  the  Building  Act.  And  this  is  the 
more  to  be  observed  because  the  composition  has  been  palpably  and 
carefully  studied  with  an  aim  at  the  picturesque.  For  instance,  in  the 
west  wing,  the  front  wall  is  carried  up  into  stepped  gables,  while  in  the 
east  wing  it  terminates  in  a  battlemented  parapet  at  the  foot  of  the 
main  roof  which  is  lighted  by  dormers.  The  distribution  of  parts  in 
the  fenestration  and  porches  of  their  wings  is  intentionally  unsym- 
metrical.  The  introduction  of  an  oriel  or  rather  a  group  of  oriel 
windows,  which  forms  a  feature  at  the  north-east  angle,  is  another 
well-intentioned  violation  of  the  uninteresting  uniformity  which  had 
hitherto  been  considered  essential  to  our  street  architecture. 

In  'Belgravia'  the  entrance  porch  is  a  necessary  adjunct  to  every 
dwelling  house.  Here  we  have  not  only  a  porch  but  a  bay  window 
above  it,  by  which  means  additional  room  is  gained  on  the  first  floor. 
The  projection  of  these  bays  and  of  the  buttress,  which  at  once  define 
and  strengthen  the  party  walls,  would  have  been  far  more  conspicuous  if 
the  facade  had  not  unfortunately  faced  the  north  and  thus  been  deprived 
of  that  play  of  shadow  which  is  the  essence  of  architectural  effect. 

The  entrance  porch  to  Dean's  Yard  forms  the  central  feature  in  this 
group,  and  rises  in  a  square  mass  flanked  by  angle  turrets  above  the 
adjoining  roofs.     The  pointed  arch  over  the  main  gateway,  the  groined 


Mr.  G.  G.  Scott  on  the  Gothic  Revival.  309 

vault  above  it,  and  the  general  features  of  this  building,  if  not  strik- 
ingly original  are  at  least  undeniably  correct  in  detail,  while  the  carved 
work  is  executed  with  a  spirit  which  was  remarkable  eighteen  years 
ago. 

Not  long  after  these  buildings  were  finished,  Mr.  Scott,  in  an  able 
paper  read  at  Doncaster  before  the  Yorkshire  Architectural  Society, 
offered  the  following  earnest  plea  for  Domestic  Gothic  : 

I  now  come,  however,  to  the  great  hindrance  to  the  perfect  success  of  our 
Revival,  and  the  great  object  which   we   must   set  before  us  in  all  our  future 
efforts.      The  hindrance  referred  to  is  the  absurd  supposition  that  Gothic   archi- 
tecture is  exclusively  and  intrinsically  ecclesiastical.      Every  form  of  architecture 
may  in  some  sense  be  said  to  be  religious,  for  each  succeeding  style  has  both 
arisen  and  culminated    in  the   temple,  and  has   thence  spread    itself  through   all 
other  classes  of  building.   .   .   .   But  it  is  not  to  be  argued  from  this  that  our 
revived  style  is  unsuited  to  other  uses,  any  more  than  that  those  of  Egypt  and 
Greece  were  only  applicable  to  temples.   .    .   .    Do  our  houses  need  less  archi- 
tectural improvement  than  our  churches  ?      Look  at  the   streets  of  our   towns, 
look  at  our   workmen's  cottages,  at  the   mushroom  growth  of  streets,  terraces, 
and  crescents  at  our  watering  places,  or  the  villas  which  disfigure  the  suburbs  of 
our  cities,  and  the  answer  will  not  be  long  suggesting  itself.      Do  our  commercial 
buildings   want   no   reformation  ?      Compare   then   our    warehouses,   &c,   with 
those  that  remain  in  the  ancient  cities  of  Europe,  the  one  disgracing  and  disfigur- 
ing, the   other   forming   noble    ornaments   to   the   towns    in   which    they  were 
erected.   .   .   .   To  cut  the  matter  short,  compare  Manchester,  Leeds,  Birming- 
ham, and  Bradford  in  the  height  of  their  glory  with  Antwerp,  Ghent,  Bruges, 
Ypres,   or   Nuremberg   in   their  decay,  and    say  whether   the   state   of  secular 
architecture  among  us  does  or  does  not  stand  in  need  of  reformation. 

Mr.  Scott,  we  may  be  sure,  spoke  with  no  ordinary  zeal  on  this 
occasion,  for  a  question  was  then  under  discussion  which  affected  not 
only  the  prospects  of  the  Revival  but  his  personal  interest  in  that 
cause,  and  the  final  result  of  which  must  have  placed  him  as  a  champion 
of  Gothic  architecture  in  a  very  difficult  and  delicate  position.  The 
Government  had  invited  English  and  foreign  architects  in  general  com- 


310  The  New  Foreign  Office  Competition. 

petition  to  submit  designs  for  the  new  public  offices.  The  competition, 
like  many  a  similar  one,  was  unfortunately  mismanaged.  One  set  of 
prizes  was  offered  for  the  best  Foreign  Office  design  ;  another  set  of 
prizes  was  offered  for  the  War  Office  design,  although  both  were  to  be 
included  in  one  group  ;  and  lest  this  arrangement  should  not  lead  to  suf- 
ficient confusion,  a  third  premium  was  offered  for  a  '  block  plan'  of  both. 
More  than  two  hundred  designs  were  sent  in.  They  were  exhibited  in 
Westminster  Hall  and  inspected  by  thousands.  The  public  journals 
were  deluged  with  criticism.  After  much  delay  and  doubt,  and  the 
award  of  some  5,000/.  in  premiums,  Mr.  Scott  was  appointed  architect 
to  the  new  buildings.  His  original  design  was,  as  might  have  been 
expected,  Mediaeval,  and  with  some  necessary  modifications  would  pro- 
bably have  been  executed.  But  an  unexpected  difficulty  presented 
itself.  The  Government  under  which  he  had  received  his  appointment 
went  out  of  office,  and  Lord  Palmerston  became  Premier. 

Lord  Palmerston's  knowledge  of  art  was  never  profound,  and  his 
taste  for  architecture  now  manifested  itself  after  a  negative  rather  than  a 
positive  fashion.  He  may  have  been  unable  to  explain  what  style  he 
liked,  but  he  knew  very  well  what  style  he  did  not  like,  and  that  style 
was  Gothic.  He  attacked  Mr.  Scott's  design  in  the  House  and  out 
of  it.  He  called  it  unsuitable  for  its  purpose,  and  a  frightful  struc- 
ture;  compared  the  building  (with  singular  ingenuity)  to  a  Jesuit 
college,  and  the  well-known  taste  of  its  author  to  a  monomania.  A  de- 
putation of  members  of  Parliament  interested  in  the  adoption  of  Gothic 
waited  on  his  lordship  at  Cambridge  House,  and  expostulated  with 
him,  but  in  vain.  He  had  determined  that  so  far  as  his  influence 
could  prevail  no  Mediaeval  design  should  be  executed.  He  illustrated 
some  of  his  arguments  on  this  occasion  by  familiar  example. 

Everybody  who  has  seen  the  Speaker's  house,  says  it  is  most  inconvenient  in 
point  of  arrangement.  Lord  John  Russell  dined  there  at  the  first  dinner  which 
was  given  in  it :  I  was  there  also  ;  and  when  we  got  into  the  Speaker's  draw- 
ing-room, he  said  very  naturally  that  it  was  all  very  well  for  our  ancestors  to 


Lord  Palrnersf oris  dislike  to  Gothic.  311 


fit  up  rooms  and  apartments  in  that  way,  because  they  knew  no  better  ;  but  why 
should  we,  who  do  know  better,  make  buildings  so  inconsistent  with  the  purposes 
for  which  they  are  intended  ? 

It  had  long  been  a  popular  objection  to  Gothic  that  it  involved  a  dark 
and  gloomy  interior.*  As  this  fallacy  had  been  dissipated  by  the  report 
of  a  Parliamentary  Committee,  Lord  Palmerston  found  it  advisable  to 
substitute  another  of  a  completely  opposite  kind. 

One  advantage  in  point  of  light  which  the  Gothic  style  possesses,  is 
that  it  is  light  from  the  time  the  sun  rises  ;  and  the  Speaker  complains  that  his 
windows  are  .so  constructed  that  there  cannot  be  any  shutters  put  to  them,  and 
that  when  he  goes  to  bed  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morning  (as  he  probably  did  to-day) 
there  is  the  sun  pouring  full  in  at  his  bedroom,  and  he  has  no  chance  of  repose 
except  what  a  green  baize  curtain  can  afford  him. 

This  might  be  truly  called  a  glaring  objection  to  Gothic,  yet  before 
the  deputation  withdrew  Lord  Palmerston  had  so  far  forgotten  it  as  to 
express  his  intention  of  requesting  Mr.  Scott  £  to  devise  some  elevation 
that  shall  be  in  a  different  style,  more  cheap,  more  light,  more  cheerful, 
and  better  adapted  to  the  position  and  purposes  of  the  building.' 

Further  than  this  inconsistency  could  scarcely  be  carried.  The 
truth  is  that  the  Premier  had  made  up  his  mind  and  there  was  no  help 
for  it.  The  Speaker's  comfort  at  dinner,  and  the  Speaker's  chance  of 
morning  repose  were,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  insured,  after  the  domestic 
revelations  above  mentioned.  How  far  the  consideration  of  these  im- 
portant points  bore  upon  the  question  at  issue  may,  after  a  lapse  of 
years,  seem  doubtful.  But  as  to  Lord  Palmerston's  opinion  there 
could  be  no  doubt.  He  was  determined  that  the  new  Foreign  Office 
should  not  be  Gothic,  and  he  had  his  way.  Mr.  Scott  stood  his  ground 
to  the  last.      He  might,  indeed,  have  taken  one  step  which  would  have 

*  Lord  Palmerston  himself  is  reported  to  have  said  in  Parliament,  «  We  all  know  that 
our  northern  climate  does  not  overpower  us  with  an  excess  of  sunshine.  Then,  for 
Heaven's  sake,  let  us  have  buildings  whose  interior  admits,  and  whose  exterior  reflects, 
what  light  there  s. 


312      The  Manchester  Assize  Courts  Competition. 

made  him  not  only  a  champion  but  a  martyr  in  the  cause  of  the 
Revival :  he  might  have  resigned  his  commission.  Perhaps  some  of  the 
younger  Gothic  architects  of  the  day,  who  regarded  him  as  their  leader, 
expected  him  to  take  that  step.  If  there  are  any  who  still  hold  that  he 
was  bound  to  do  so,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  may  never  find  them- 
selves in  a  similar  predicament.  From  an  aesthetic  point  of  view  it 
would  have  been  a  grand  act.  From  a  practical  point  of  view  it  would 
have  been  Quixotic.  Mr.  Scott  would  have  been  reckoned  a  hero, 
but  we  should  not  on  that  account  have  secured  a  Mediaeval  Foreign 
Office. 

As  it  was,  the  caprice  and  prejudice  of  a  statesman  who  had  no  sort 
of  claim  to  connoisseurship  were  allowed  to  prevail,  and  Mr.  Scott 
was  reluctantly  compelled  to  raise  a  building  in  a  style  with  which  he 
had  little  sympathy,  and  to  which  he  had  probably  devoted  little 
attention.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  result  may  well  surprise  his 
friends  and  disarm  his  adversaries  by  its  excellence. 

Although  the  Gothic  Revival  had  thus  received  a  decided  check  in 
London,  it  met  with  more  encouragement  in  the  provinces. 

The   Manchester  Assize  Courts  competition  attracted  more  than  a 
hundred  candidates,  among  whom  were  many  whose  names  had  been 
little  known  before,  but  who  have  since  become  eminent  in  their  pro- 
fession.    The  choice  of  the  judges  fell  upon  Mr.  Alfred  Waterhouse, 
a   local  architect,  who  had  sent  in  a  Mediaeval   design,  which  united 
considerable  artistic  merit  with  unusual  advantages  in  regard  to  plan 
and  internal   arrangement.     The   original   treatment  of  its   individual 
features  did  not  indeed  indicate  evidence  of  a  thorough  and  consistent 
attempt  to  realise  in  this  building  the  character  of  any  special  phase  or 
type  of  Gothic  art.      The  formal  proportions  of  its    principal  facade, 
the  outline  of  its  roof,  the  fenestration  of  its  upper  story,  and,  above 
all,  the  nature  of  its  ornamental   details,  showed  a  tendency  to  depart 
from  the  unities  of  architectural  style.     At  the  time  of  this  competition 
many  young  architects  had  devoted  themselves  with  enthusiasm  to  the 


Entrance  to  Assize  Courts,  Manchester. 
A.  Waterkouse,  Architect,  1859. 


Mr.  A.  Waterhouse's  Design.  313 

study  of  Early  French  Gothic,  and  had  really  caught  much  of  the 
spirit  of  twelfth  century  work.  Others  still  clung  to  national  traits, 
and  endeavoured  to  preserve  them  in  their  designs.  A  few  had  studied 
the  Mediaeval  examples  in  Lombardy  and  Venice  to  some  profit,  while 
others  were  allured  by  the  more  specious  attractions  of  the  Italian 
Renaissance.  Some  of  these  several  types  were  ably  represented  in  the 
Manchester  competition,  and  perhaps  if  the  decision  of  the  judges  had 
been  based  on  artistic  considerations  alone,  more  than  one  of  the 
candidates  would  have  taken  precedence  of  Mr.  Waterhouse,  the  prin- 
ciple of  whose  design  was  confessedly  eclectic.  But  experience  has 
proved  that  whatever  may  be  accomplished  in  ecclesiastical  or  domestic 
architecture,  the  special  characteristics  of  individual  style  can  rarely  be 
renewed  in  their  integrity  for  modern  public  buildings  without  some 
sacrifice  of  convenience,  and  that  is  precisely  the  requisite  which  those 
who  have  the  management  of  public  buildings  are  bound  to  secure. 

Time  has  shown  that  Mr.  Waterhouse's  plan  for  the  Assize 
Courts  is  admirably  adapted  for  its  purpose ;  and,  with  regard  to 
the  artistic  merits  of  the  work,  it  will  be  time  enough  to  criticise  when 
any  better  modern  structure  of  its  size  and  style  has  been  raised  in  this 

country. 

During  the  interval  which  elapsed  between  the  selection  and  execu- 
tion of  his  design,  Mr.  Waterhouse  introduced  many  improvements  in 
the  facade.  The  central  block,  of  which  the  lower  portion  is  devoted 
to  an  entrance  porch,  had  terminated  above  in  a  fantastically-shaped 
roof,  surmounted  by  a  clock  turret.  In  place  of  this  feature,  a  lofty 
gable,  pierced  with  a  large  wheel  window,  is  now  substituted.  The 
upper  windows  of  the  principal  front  had  been  enriched  with 
ogival  hood  mouldings.  These  were  omitted  in  execution,  and  the 
window  heads  gain  immensely  in  effect  by  the  change.  In  the 
Southall  Street  front  other  modifications  were  adopted  in  the  plan, 
which  considerably  enhanced  the  general  effect.  The  best  view  of 
the    building   as  a  composition   is   at   some    little    distance    from    the 


314  The  Manchester  Assize  Courts. 

corner  formed  by  the  junction  of  Great  Ducie  Street  and  Southall 
Street,  where  the  principal  masses  of  the  building  group  excellently 
together. 

The  aim  of  the  architect  seems  to  have  been  to  secure  general 
symmetry  with  variety  of  detail.  Thus  the  principal  facade  is  exactly 
divided  by  the  central  block  :  the  wings  on  either  side  are  lighted  by 
exactly  the  same  number  of  windows,  but  the  windows  themselves 
vary  in  their  tracery.  Perhaps  the  least  satisfactory  feature  in  the 
design  at  first  sight  is  the  lofty  tower,  which,  rising  in  the  centre  from 
the  rear  of  the  building,  looks  like  an  Italian  campanile,  but  really 
serves  the  purpose  of  a  ventilating  shaft.  Yet,  after  the  eye  has 
become  accustomed  to  its  proportions,  there  are  really  no  definite  faults 
to  find  with  it  but  faults  of  detail,  on  which  it  would  be  hypercritical 
to  enter  here.  At  this  stage  of  his  career,  and  it  was  a  very  early 
stage,  Mr.  Waterhouse  perhaps  erred  in  over-prettifying  his  work. 
This  tendency  may  be  noticed  here  and  there  in  the  design ;  but  it 
never  lapses  into  fussiness  or  descends  to  vulgarity. 

The  interior  of  the  great  hall  is  most  successful  in  its  proportions. 
It  has  an  open  timber  '  hammer-beam '  roof,  and  a  large  pointed 
window  with  geometrical  tracery,  at  each  end.  The  doorways  leading 
hence  to  the  corridors  and  adjoining  offices  are  studied  with  great  care; 
and  indeed  the  same  may  be  said  of  every  feature  in  the  hall,  from  its 
inlaid  pavement  to  the  pendant  gasaliers.  The  Civil  Court  and  the 
Criminal  Court  (each  capable  of  holding  about  800  people)  are 
respectively  to  the  north-east  and  south-east  of  the  hall.  They  are 
identical  in  size  and  arrangement,  and  are  provided  with  the  usual 
retiring  rooms  forjudges  and  juries. 

The  barristers'  library  is  a  picturesque  and  effective  apartment,  with 
a  roof  following  the  outline  of  a  pointed  arch,  and  divided  into  panels. 
The  barristers'  corridor  is  lighted  by  a  skylight,  supported  at  intervals 
by  arched  ribs  cusped  and  slightly  decorated  with  colour.  This, 
together   with    many  other    features   in    the   building,    represents   with 


A uc i cut  Art  and  Modern  Requirements.       315 

more  or  less  success  an  attempt  to  invest  modern  structural  require- 
ments with  an  artistic  character  which  shall  be  Mediaeval  in  motive 
if  not  in  fact.  The  trying  conditions  of  this  union  cannot  be  too 
constantly  kept  in  view  by  critics,  who,  applying  an  antiquarian  test  to 
such  works  as  this  at  Manchester,  proceed  to  condemn  the  association 
of  features  for  which  there  is  no  actual  precedent  in  old  and  genuine 
Gothic. 

Now  it  is  quite  certain  that  if  any  modern  architect  were  so  inge- 
nious as  to  be  able  to  raise  in  the  nineteenth  century  a  municipal  or  any 
other  building,  which,  in  its  general  arrangement  and  the  character  of  its 
details  thoroughly  realised  the  fashion  of  the  thirteenth  or  fourteenth 
century,  it  would  be  about  as  uncomfortable,  unhealthy,  and  incon- 
venient a  structure  as  could  be  devised.  There  must  be  a  compromise. 
Gothic  architecture  under  its  old  conditions,  and  where  the  ordinary 
requirements  of  life  are  concerned,  is  impossible.  Gothic  architecture 
under  modern  conditions — improved  methods  of  lighting  and  venti- 
lating, sanitary  considerations,  the  use  of  new  materials,  and  habits  of 
ease  and  luxury — may  be,  and  indeed  is,  very  possible.  But  it  is  open 
to  various  interpretations,  and  in  judging  of  its  examples  we  must 
apply  to  them  a  new  standard  of  taste — a  standard  of  no  narrow  limit 
to  place  or  time,  artistic  rather  than  archaeological,  founded  on  necessity 
rather  than  on  sentiment.  Judged  by  such  a  standard  as  this,  Mr. 
Waterhouse's  work  at  Manchester  is  a  decided  success. 


3i 6  Influence  of  Individual  Taste. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 


TTEMPTS  have  frequently  been  made  to  identify  the  various 
phases  through  which  modern  Gothic  has  passed  during  the 
last  twenty  years,  with  the  names  of  individual  architects 
who  are  popularlv  supposed  to  have  formed  by  their  influence  and 
example  special  schools  in  the  practice  of  their  profession.  And, 
indeed,  no  more  convenient  method  of  classification  could  be  adopted 
in  recording  the  progress  of  the  Revival  if  it  were  one  which  might  be 
safely  relied  on.  The  past  history  of  some  arts  is  capable  of  this 
analysis,  which  materially  aids  the  student  in  arriving  at  a  knowledge 
of  style,  and  of  those  distinct  qualities  which  help  to  form  a  style.  In 
our  own  day  it  is  not  unusual  for  writers  to  group  together  for  purposes 
of  criticism  the  names  of  certain  painters  whose  aim  is  understood  to  be 
uniformly  directed,  and  who  incline  to  the  same  choice  of  subjects  or  to 
the  same  class  of  treatment.  But  in  a  description  of  modern  architec- 
ture such  a  course  could  not  be  systematically  pursued.  Here  and 
there  it  might  serve  in  a  general  way  to  indicate  the  position  of  such  a 
man  as  Pugin  or  Scott,  in  reference  to  those  who  for  a  while  acknow- 
ledged him  as  their  leader  ;  but,  as  a  rule,  most  architects  decline  to 
entertain  the  notion  of  having  been  led  at  all,  except  by  their  own  convic- 
tions. As  pupils,  their  natural  tendency  is,  of  course,  to  design  after  the 
fashion  of  their  masters  ;  though,  even  at  this  stage,  a  few  weeks' 
study  on  the  Continent,  the  erection  of  a  new  and  striking  building,  or 
the  genial  influence  of  an  art  clique,  may  turn  the  current  of  their 
ambition.     But    when  once  an  architect   has  entered   on   practice   for 


llic  Study  of  French  Gothic.  317 


himself,  his  admiration  of  individual  talent  undergoes  considerable 
abatement;  his  great  desire  is  to  be  original,  and  one  cannot  pay  him 
a  poorer  compliment  than  by  supposing  that  his  designs  have  been 
suggested  by  any  previous  design,  or  that  he  is  indebted  for  a  single 
detail  to  the  invention  of  his  contemporaries. 

Now  without  accepting  the  conclusion  that  no  modern  architect's 
work  could  possibly  be  mistaken  for  any  other  than  his  own,  it  is  easy 
to  see  that  a  young  designer  is  subject  to  a  variety  of  impressions 
from  various  sources,  which,  acting  together,  may  prevent  him  from 
pledging  himself  to  a  particular  school  of  art,  and,  further,  that  as 
he  gains  in  experience,  his  taste,  in  whatever  direction  it  may  have  set, 
will  assuredly  undergo  a  change. 

During  the  last  fifteen  years  the  current  of  architectural  taste  has 
been  turned  in  more  than  one  direction.  Mr.  Ruskin's  influence  sent 
it  rushing  for  awhile  towards  North  Italy.  The  Lille  Cathedral  com- 
petition, in  which,  though  open  to  all  the  world,  the  first  two  prizes 
were  awarded  to  Englishmen,*  naturally  drew  attention  to  the  merits 
of  French  Gothic,  while  a  strong  party  strove  hard  to  maintain  our 
own  national  traditions  of  style. 

Of  the  three  schools  thus  represented,  French  Gothic  was  for  some 
years  decidedly  in  the  ascendant.  It  was  novel  ;  it  appealed  by  the 
adventitious  aid  of  sculpture  and  other  decorative  details  to  a  popular 
taste  ;  it  admitted  of  general  application,  and  a  work  was  then  being 
published  which  promised  peculiar  advantages  for  its  study.  This  was 
M.  Viollet-le-Duc's  famous  c  Dictionnaire  raisonne  de  l'Architecture 
Franchise  du  XIe  au  XVIe  Siecle/  of  which  it  is  scarcely  too  much  to 
say  that  no  more  useful  or  exhaustive  treatise  could  have  been  written 
on  the  subject.     In  examining  this  extraordinary  contribution  to  the 

*  The   first  to  Messrs.  Glutton   and  Burges ;  the  second  to  Mr.  Street.      In  the  same 

competition  silver   medals   were   awarded    to   Messrs.  Holden  and    Son   of  Manchester, 

Mr.  Brodrick  of  Leeds,  and  Messrs.  Evans  and    Pullan ;  while  the  designs  of  Mr.  Goldie, 
Mr.  Pedley,  and  Mr.  Robinson  were  '  honourably  mentioned.' 


318  M.    Viollct-lc-Duc. 


literature  of  the  Revival,  it  is  difficult  to  say  which  is  most  worthy  of 
admiration,  the  patient  research  and  archaeological  labour  which  occu- 
pied its  author  during  fourteen  years  of  a  busy  life,  or  the  artistic  taste 
and  skill  which  enabled  him  to  fill  nine  quarto  volumes  with  illustrations 
so  various  in  their  range,  so  ingenious  in  their  character,  so  attractive  in 
their  form,  and  so  delicate  in  their  execution,  that  they  leave  nothing  to 
be  desired  in  the  form  of  technical  information  or  artistic  record. 

In  illustrating  the  constructive  details  of  Mediaeval  masonry  and 
carpentry,  previous  authors  had  been  content  to  supply  plans  and 
sections,  which  explained  themselves  indeed  to  the  professional  reader, 
but  left  many  a  youthful  student  and  amateur  in  doubt  as  to  their 
practical  significance.  M.  Viollet-le-Duc  not  only  supplied  geometrical 
drawings  of  such  features,  but  added  perspective  sketches,  in  which  the 
parts  to  be  illustrated  are  dissected  in  a  manner  that  renders  them 
intelligible  to  everyone  at  first  sight.  The  same  principle  is  frequently 
applied  to  general  views  in  this  admirable  work.  One  looks  down 
upon  a  church  or  town  hall,  partly  stripped  of  its  roof  or  gable,  and 
straightway  the  whole  anatomy  of  its  walls  is  revealed.  The  various 
buildings  of  an  abbey  or  the  ramparts  of  a  fortified  town  are  shown, 
not  only  by  a  plan,  but  by  a  bird's-eye  view.  If  the  author  is  de- 
scribing a  piece  of  timber  construction  he  is  not  content  until  he  has 
pulled  the  whole  framework  to  pieces,  and  described  with  his  pencil 
as  well  as  with  his  pen  the  nature  and  purpose  of  every  joint. 

Nothing  is  too  abstruse — nothing  too  insignificant  for  explanation. 
Under  the  heads  of  '  Voute '  and  ' Arc-boutant]  the  scientific  principles 
of  Mediaeval  groining  are  made  clear.  When  M.  Viollet-le-Duc  is 
dealing  with  '  Serrurerie]  he  is  at  the  pains  to  enter  into  a  minute  de- 
scription of  ancient  locks.  The  subject  of  sculpture  forms  the  text 
for  a  valuable  essay.  That  on  military  architecture  is  of  such  length 
and  importance  that  it  has  been  reprinted  in  a  separate  volume.  The 
examples  of  towers  and  spires,  of  window  tracery,  of  door-jambs,  of 
parapets  and  cornices,  capitals  and  bases,  not  to  mention  other  details, 


Entrance  to  the  Digby  Mortuary  Chapel,  Sherborne. 
W.  Slater,  Architect,  i860. 


The  ' Dictionnaire  de  V Architecture  Frangaise.'  319 


with  which  these  volumes  are  filled,  are  innumerable.  A  more  con- 
venient book  for  reference  was  never  devised  for  the  architectural 
student.  If  he  wants  a  suggestion  for  the  plan  of  an  apse,  the  con- 
struction of  a  staircase,  the  shape  of  a  dormer,  the  decoration  of  a  fire- 
place, he  has  but  to  turn  out  f  ChevetJ  '  Escalier,'  «  Lucarne'  or 
'  ChemineeJ  and  forthwith  he  finds  a  dozen  models  to  choose  from.  If 
he  wishes  to  learn  something  of  the  history  of  Mediaeval  art,  he  will  do 
well  if  he  can  digest  half  the  information  supplied  in  the  first  volume 
under  the  head  of  f  Architecture.'  If  he  seeks  to  understand  its 
artistic  principles  or  their  practical  application,  he  will  scarcely  open  a 
single  page  that  does  not  enlighten  him. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  influence  of  this  work  became  perceptible 
in  England.  Gothic  architects  began  to  introduce  French  details  in 
their  work.  Decorative  sculpture  assumed  a  different  character.  The 
small  and  intricately  carved  foliage  of  capitals  which  had  hitherto  been 
in  vogue  gave  place  to  bolder  and  simpler  forms  of  leaf  ornament. 
The  round  abacus  was  superseded  by  the  square.  In  place  of  com- 
pound or  clustered  pillars,  plain  cylindrical  shafts  were  employed. 
Arch  mouldings  grew  less  complex.  Crockets  and  bail-flower  enrich- 
ments were  reduced  to  a  minimum.  The  plans,  the  proportions,  the 
general  composition  of  many  a  church  and  private  dwelling  were 
sensibly  affected  by  the  change.  Artistically  considered,  the  examples 
of  modern  Gothic  might  be  said  to  approach  a  more  archaic  type  than 
previously.  From  a  constructive  point  of  view  they  were  pronounced, 
in  the  professional  slang  of  the  day,  more  c  muscular.' 

After  the  first  few  volumes  of  the  c  Dictionnaire  raisonne  '  had  been 
published,  Mr.  R.  Norman  Shaw,  a  young  architect  who  had  carried 
off  more  than  one  prize  at  the  Royal  Academy,  was  sent  abroad  as  its 
travelling  student.  He  returned  from  a  lengthy  tour  on  the  Continent 
with  a  portfolio  of  interesting  sketches,  which  were  afterwards  pub- 
lished in  the  well-known  volume  which  bears  his  name.  It  is  a  sig- 
nificant evidence  of  the  prevailing  taste  in  architecture  at  this  period 


320       Sketches  Published  by  Shaw  and  Nesfield. 

that  the  sketches  were  all  from  Mediaeval  buildings,  and  that  half  of 
them  were  made  in  France. 

Not  long  afterwards  Mr.  W.  E.  Nesfield  made  a  similar  tour,  and 
for  a  like  purpose ;  but  in  his  case  nine-tenths  of  the  specimens 
selected  for  illustration  were  French,  and  for  the  most  part  French  of 
the  earliest  types. 

To  estimate  the  true  value  of  these  works  we  must  remember  that 
they  were  the  first  of  any  importance  which  represented  Continental 
architecture  in  a  style  of  drawing  at  once  artistic  and  accurate  enough 
for  professional  reference.  The  skill,  the  delicacy  of  touch,  the  atten- 
tion to  perspective,  and  the  knowledge  of  detail  which  they  exhibit,  are 
worthy  of  all  praise.  Comparisons  are  sometimes  made  between  the 
ability  of  modern  students  and  those  of  the  good  old  times  when  the 
taste  for  classic  art  was  at  its  zenith.  Whatever  else  may  be  said  of  the 
Gothic  Revival  and  its  tendencies,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  has 
encouraged  students  to  draw.  In  this  respect  the  present  generation 
has  a  decided  advantage.  In  our  grandfathers'  days  the  artist  archi- 
tect was  a  rarity,  and  for  one  who  could  then  sketch  with  freedom  we 
have  twenty  who  can  do  so  now. 

The  introduction  of  a  French  element  in  the  Gothic  of  this  period 
may  be  exemplified  in  the  Digby  Mortuary  Chapel  at  Sherborne  (de- 
signed by  Mr.  W.  Slater,  the  partner  and  professional  successor  of 
Mr.  Carpenter),  where  the  rich  details  of  the  entrance  door  and  the 
carved  tympanum  of  the  arch-head  are  eminently  suggestive  of  foreign 
study.  Mr.  Slater  was  associated  with  Mr.  Carpenter  in  the  execution 
of  many  buildings,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  Church  of 
SS.  Simon  and  Jude  at  Earl's  Hilton  in  Leicestershire,  and  the  Episcopal 
Chapel  of  St.  Peter  in  Edinburgh.  After  Mr.  Carpenter's  death, 
Mr.  Slater  was  commissioned  to  rebuild  Kilmore  Cathedral  in  Ireland, 
and  to  erect  St.  John's  Schools,  St.  Pancras — a  plain  but  excellent 
example  of  secular  Gothic.  In  conjunction  with  his  present  partner 
(the  late  Mr.  Carpenter's  son)  he  has  since  designed  and  carried  out 
numerous  works,  and  has  been  largely  employed  in  restorations. 


Baptistery  of  St.  Francis   Church,  Notting  Hill. 

J.  /•".  Beiitley,  Architect.  1861. 


Chit  nil  of  St.  Francis  of  Assist,  Not  ting  Hill.    321 


In  1861  Mr.  J.  F.  Bentley  added  the  baptistery,  schools,  and  other 
buildings  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  at 
Notting  Hill.  The  baptistery,  as  the  production  of  a  young  architect 
then  little  known  to  fame,  was  much  admired.  There  is  a  breadth 
and  simplicity  about  the  design  which  distinguished  it  from  previous 
work,  as  well  as  from  much  that  was  executed  at  that  time.  In  the 
character  of  the  capitals,  the  treatment  of  the  font,  and  other  details, 
a  tendency  to  depart  from  English  tradition  may  be  noticed,  and  this 
is  the  more  remarkable  because  the  architect,  like  many  others,  has 
since  retraced  his  steps,  and  is  now  emphatically  insular  in  his  taste. 

But  in  no  instance  was  this  revolt  from  national  style  more  marked 
than  in  the  Church  of  St.  James  the  Less,  erected  at  Westminster  by 
Mr.  Street.  Here  the  whole  character  of  the  building,  whether  we 
regard  its  plan,  its  distinctive  features,  its  external  or  internal 
decoration  is  eminently  un-English.  Even  the  materials  used  in  its 
construction  and  the  mode  by  which  it  is  lighted  were  novelties. 
The  detached  tower  with  its  picturesquely  modelled  spire,  its  belfry 
stage  rich  in  ornamental  brick-work  and  marble  bosses,  the  semi- 
circular apse  and  quasi-transepts,  the  plate  tracery,  the  dormers  in- 
serted in  the  clerestory,  the  quaint  treatment  of  the  nave  arcade,  the 
bold  vigour  of  the  carving,  the  chromatic  decoration  of  the  roof — all 
bear  evidence  of  a  thirst  for  change  which  Mr.  Street  could  satisfy 
without  danger,  but  which  betrayed  many  of  his  contemporaries  into 
intemperance.  Even  here  there  is  something  to  regret  in  the  restless 
notching  of  edges,  the  dazzling  distribution  of  stripes,  the  multiplicity 
of  pattern  forms,  and  exuberance  of  sculpture  detail.  But  it  is  all  so 
clever  and  so  facile,  so  evidently  the  invention  of  a  man  who  enjoys  his 
work — and  who,  full  of  rich  fancies  and  quaint  conceits,  is  incapable  of 
insipidity,  but  at  any  moment  if  he  so  chooses  can  rein  himself  back 
from  extravagance — that  it  is  impossible  but  to  regard  it  with  pleasure. 

If  Mr.  Street  had  never  designed  anything  but  the  campanile  of  this 
church — and  its  Italian  character  justifies  the  name — it  would  be  suf- 

Y 


322       Church  of  St.  James  the  Less,  Westminster. 

ficient  to  proclaim  him  an  artist.   In  form,  proportion  of  parts,  decorative 
detail,  and  use  of  colour,  it   seems  to   leave  little  to  be  desired.     To 
form  a  just  appreciation  of  its  merits,  let  the  architectural  amateur  walk 
down  to  Garden  Street  from  any  part  of  London,  and  note  as  he  passes 
the  stereotyped  patterns  of  towers  and  spires  which  he  will  find  to  right 
or  left  of  his  road.      How  neat,  how  respectable,   how  correct,  how 
eminently  uninteresting  they  are  !     No  one  cares  to  look  at  them  twice. 
They  are  all  like  each  other,  or  so  little  different  that  if  they  changed 
places  any  day,  by  help  of  Aladdin's  lamp,  the  London  world  would 
never  find  it  out.    But  here,  in  one  of  the  poorest  and  meanest  quarters 
of  town,  hidden  away  behind  dull  masses  of  brick  and  mortar,  this  fair 
tower,  when  one  does  see  it,  is  something  not  to  be  easily  forgotten.     It 
is  the  fate  of  more  than  one  noble  church  in  London  to  be  thus  ob- 
scured.     And  there  is  no  help  for  it.      The  poorest  neighbourhoods 
want  them  most,  and  on  that  account  the  choice  of  site   does   infinite 
credit  to  its  founders.*     But  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  fine   a  work 
should  be  placed  where  it  must  be  rarely  seen  by  those  who  could  best 
judge  of  its  artistic  excellence. 

The  rich  fertility  of  this  architect's  inventive  power  is  only  equalled  by 
the  sagacious  tact  which  guides  its  application.  He  is  not  only  master 
of  many  styles,  but  he  can  give  original  expression  to  every  one  of  them. 
Where  decoration  can  be  afforded,  he  invests  his  work  with  a  sumptuous 
refinement  which  reveals  itself  in  every  detail.  Where  simplicity  is  re- 
quired, he  makes  simplicity  attractive.  This  faculty  of  design  belongs 
to  that  rare  order  which  unites  artistic  instinct  with  practical  ability. 
He  sees  his  opportunity  at  a  glance  and  makes  the  most  of  it.  Some- 
times his  originality  is  manifested  in  a  novel  plan,  as  in  the  Church  of 
St.  Saviour,  Eastbourne,  where  the  chancel  is  joined  to  the  nave  by  a 
1  canted '  bay ;  sometimes  in  the  clever  association  of  ecclesiastical  and 
domestic  architecture,  as  at  Boyne  Hill ;  sometimes  in  the  design  of 

*  St.  James  the  Less  was  erected  by  the  Misses  Monk  in  memory  of  their  father,  the 
late  Bishop  of  Gloucester  and  Canon  of  Westminster. 


t  *f.O  sc 


Church  of  S.  PJiilip  and  S.  James,  Oxford. 
<;.  /■.  Street,  .I.A'..I..  Architect,  1862. 


Character  of  Mr.  St  reef  s  Designs.  323 


decorative  sculpture,  as  at  Brightwaltham  Church,  where  the  carved 
figures  which  enrich  the  altar  exactly  realise  that  combination  of 
quaintness  and  grace  which  is  so  characteristic  of  Medieval  work. 

Mr.  Street  was  one  of  the  first  architects  of  the  Revival  who  showed 
how  effective  Gothic  architecture  might  be  made  where  it  simply  de- 
pends for  effect  on  artistic  proportion.  In  this  respect  he  brought 
about  a  great  and  useful  reformation  in  the  practice  of  his  art.  If 
Pugin  and  his  followers  could  decorate  their  walls  with  carved  panels, 
fill  their  windows  with  tracery,  crown  their  buttresses  with  crocketed 
pinnacles,  and  enrich  their  porches  with  canopied  niches,  they  made  a 
showy  building.  But  shorn  of  such  details  it  cut  a  sorry  figure. 
Now,  if  Mr.  Street  were  limited  to  the  arrangement  of  four  walls,  a 
roof,  a  couple  of  windows,  a  door,  and  a  chimney  shaft,  on  the  distinct 
understanding  that  none  of  these  features  were  to  be  ornamented  in  the 
slightest  degree,  we  may  be  quite  sure  that  he  would  group  them  in 
such  a  fashion  as  to  make  them  picturesque.  Nothing  can  possibly  be 
simpler  than  his  works  at  Cuddesdon  and  East  Grinstead — the  first  a 
college,  the  latter  a  convent.  They  have  literally  no  architectural 
character  beyond  what  may  be  secured  by  stout  masonry,  a  steep  roof, 
and  a  few  dormer  windows.  But  there  is  a  genuine  cachet  on  each 
design  which  it  is  impossible  to  mistake.  They  are  the  production  of 
an  artist  hand. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  better  test  of  an  architect's  originality  in  design 
than  when  he  has  to  deal  with  the  design  of  a  very  small  village  church. 
It  must  have  its  sanctuary,  its  porch,  its  pulpit,  and  its  belfry,  but  it 
must  be  spanned  by  a  single  roof,  and  the  picturesque  subdivision  of 
nave  and  aisles  is  of  course  out  of  the  question.  How  can  such  a 
building  as  this  be  made  to  express  its  purpose,  to  look  interesting 
and  avoid  conventionality  ?  Mr.  Street  has  shown  us  how  to  do  this 
in  his  design  for  Howesham  Church.  He  gave  the  chancel  an  apsidal 
end,  decorated  its  windows  with  escoinson  shafts,  cusped  the  chancel 
arch,  reduced  the  pulpit  to  a  little  quadrant  in  plan  (which  was  just  the 


Y   2 


324        Church  of  SS.  Phi  Zip  and  James,  Oxford. 


thing  for  a  corner),  planned  a  snug  little  porch  with  a  lean-to  roof  for 
the  west  end,  and  carried  up   a   picturesque  belfry  turret  by  its   side. 
The  effect  of  the  whole  is  charming.      Nothing  better  could  have  been 
devised.     It  is  simplicity  itself,  but  simplicity  with  meaning  and  effect. 
In   his  larger  works  Mr.  Street   is   equally   successful.     Of  all   the 
churches  which   he  has  built  there  is  scarcely  one  which  is  not  remark- 
able for  some  originality  of  treatment.     And  this  originality  is  always 
secured  by  legitimate  means,  without  an  approach  to  that  license  which 
with  the  less  accomplished  designer  results  in  extravagant  proportions 
or  bizarrerie  of  detail.     It  is  by  slight  and  temperate  departures  from 
ordinary  types  of  form  and  decoration   that   this  architect   frequently 
ensures  a  novel  grace  without  startling  by  oddities  of  design.     Thus  in 
the  Church  of  SS.  Philip  and  James,  at  Oxford,  the  tower  which  rises 
over  the  intersection  of  the  nave  and  transepts  is  a  little  broader  in  plan 
from  north  to  south  than  it  is  from  east  to  west.     The  division   of  the 
clerestory  windows  does  not  exactly  coincide  with  the  division  of  the  nave 
arcade.      The  fenestration  of  the  north  transept  differs  from  that  of  the 
south.     The  building  is  enriched  with  natural  colour,  not  by  covering 
it  over  with  stripes  like  a  zebra,  but  by  introducing  bands  of  reddish 
stone  at  rare  intervals  and  by  marking  the  voussoirs  in  the  same  manner. 
The  nave  of  this  church  is  of  unusual  width  in  relation  to  its  aisles, 
but  the  easternmost  bay  of  each  arcade  slopes  slightly  inwards  to  meet 
the  piers  which  carry  the  central  tower.     This  forms  a  peculiar  and  by 
no  means  an  uninteresting  feature.     The  nave  roof,  instead  of  being 
open  timbered  and  of  the  ordinary  type,  is  ceiled  internally  and  takes 
the  form  of  a  pointed  arch,  decorated  at  intervals  with  bands  of  colour. 
The   picturesque  grouping   of   the   aisle  windows,   the  rich   inlay  and 
carving  of  the  reredos  (heightened  in  effect  by  contrast  with  the   plain 
wall  lining  and  simple  wood  fittings  of  the  chancel),  even  the  iron-work 
of  the  screen — are  all  full  of  character,  and  that  type  of  character  which 
if  verbally  expressed  would  only  be  a  synonym  for  artistic  grace.    Once, 
and  once  only,  in  this  building  does  the  architect  appear  to  have  drifted 


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All  Saints,  Clifton  ;  St.  Joints,  Torquay.       325 

into  random  work,  and  that  is  in  the  design  of  the  circular  window  which 
lights  the  western  gable.  But  even  here  the  result  is  rather  quaint  than 
distasteful.  The  best  view  of  the  exterior  is  certainly  from  the  east  end, 
where  the  central  tower  and  spire,  rising  from  the  crux  with  an  octa- 
gonal turret  at  the  south-east  corner,  form  with  the  chancel  and  tran- 
septs an  admirably  composed  group,  in  which  two  architectural 
features  constantly  adopted  by  Mr.  Street — viz.  the  round  apse  and 
the  louvred  belfry  windows — are  conspicuous. 

In  one  marked  particular,  church  building  of  the  present  day  differs 
from  that  which  was  carried  on  formerly,  and  that   is  in  the  gradual 
manner  of  its  execution.     Twenty  or  thirty  years  ago,  when  a  church 
was  begun,  the  great  object  was  to  complete  it  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
to  provide  accommodation  for  a  certain  number  of  sitters.      The  money 
granted  or  subscribed  for  this  object  was  applied  to  the  erection  of  the 
whole  structure,  which  became  simple  or  ornate   in  proportion  to  the 
amount  of  funds  available.     At  the  present  time  it  is  not  at  all  un- 
common, when  means  are  limited,  to  begin  by   building  the  chancel, 
and  even  to  enrich  it  and  decorate  it  before  the  rest  of  the  building  is 
complete.     This  has  happened  with  two  of  Mr.  Street's  churches,  viz. 
that  of  All  Saints',  Clifton,  and  St.  John's  at  Torquay,  both  admirable 
specimens  of  his  ability.     The  chancel  of  All  Saints'  is  decorated  in- 
ternally  with   stone   of  three   different   hues — white,  bluish   gray,  and 
light   red,  judiciously  apposed   in  the  construction   of  the   piers,  &c. 
With  such  fair  building  materials  as   these   but  little  carved  work   is 
necessary,  and  to  a  critical  eye  the  perpetual  notching  of  the  arch  edges 
throughout  this  church  appears  tedious.     There  is  no  type  of  orna- 
mentation   more    mechanical    or    less    interesting  in    itself    than     this 
notched  work  ;  and  so  much  thought  and  ingenuity  have  been  bestowed 
on  the  building  that  one  is  impatient  of  details  which  exhibit   neither, 
and  have,  moreover,  been  woefully  hackneyed  elsewhere.      The  chancel 
screen  is  an   instance  of  Mr.  Street's  luxuriant  fancy  when  let  free  to 
play  with  brass  and  iron,  but  its  elaboration  is  cleverly  concentrated  on 


326  Sf.  Peter  s  Church,  Van x hall. 

the  upper  and  lower  portions,  leaving  the  centre  a   plain  transparent 
grille  of  octagonal  rods. 

It  is  remarkable  that  this  architect,  who  was  one  of  the  first  to  set 
aside  home  traditions  of  style  in  favour  of  Continental  Gothic,  should 
also  be  among  the  earliest  of  his  professional  contemporaries  to  return 
to  English  models.  Among  his  admirers,  who  watched  with  interest 
the  completion  of  St.  James  the  Less,  there  was  probably  not  one 
who  foresaw  the  change  which  was  destined  to  take  place  in  the  spirit 
of  his  design.  Yet  the  stately  church  now  rising  in  Toddington  Park, 
near  Winchcomb,  is  eniinentlv  northern  in  the  character  of  its  plan  and 
details.  We  have  had  a  French  fashion,  and  we  have  had  an  Italian 
fashion :  but  the  tide  of  architectural  taste  is  once  more  returning  to 
our  shores. 

It  was  perhaps  when  the  rage  for  foreign  Gothic  was  at  its  height 
that  a  building  was  begun  in  London,  which,  from  its  size,  the  nature 
of  its  construction,  and  the  masterlike  skill  of  its  design,  deserves 
especial  mention.  The  Church  of  St.  Peter's,  Vauxhall,  is  not  only  an 
excellent  example  of  Mr.  Pearson's  originality  in  design,  but  may  be 
fairly  described  as  one  of  the  most  successful  instances  of  modern 
ecclesiastical  architecture  in  London.  The  plan  and  general  arrange- 
ment of  this  structure  are  extremely  simple  ;  its  most  remarkable 
features  being  a  semicircular  apse  and  triforium  at  the  east  end,  the 
bold  and  unconventional  treatment  of  the  west  front,  and  the  groined 
vaulting  which  roofs  the  whole  of  the  interior.  It  is  also  distinguished 
by  the  very  early  character  of  its  internal  details,  especially  of  the 
carved  work,  which,  where  finished  (the  capitals  of  the  nave  piers  are 
still  left  en  bloc),  has  been  executed  with  great  spirit  and  refinement. 

The  wall  of  the  apse  immediately  below  the  triforium  is  decorated 
with  fresco  paintng  in  seven  panels  or  compartments,  devoted  to  the 
following  subjects  illustrative  of  the  last  incidents  in  the  life  of  our 
Lord :  The  Last  Supper,  The  Agony  in  the  Garden,  Christ  bearing 
His  Cross  to  Calvary,  The  Crucifixion,  The  Descent  from  the   Cross, 


C  liurch  of  S.  Peter,  /  \iuxhall. 
J.    J..    Pearson,   J-.S.A.,    Architect,    1S63. 


Internal  Decoration  of  St.  Peters.  327 

The  Resurrection,  and  Christ's  subsequent  appearance  to  the  Apostles. 
The  figures  in  each  subject  are  closely  grouped  and  are  relieved  in  al- 
ternate panels  on  a  dark  blue  and  Indian  red  ground.  Other  tints  are 
employed  to  represent  some  of  the  accessories,  but  the  figures  them- 
selves are  for  the  most  part  left  uncoloured,  the  folds  of  drapery,  &c, 
being  expressed  by  lines  only. 

Below  this  series  of  pictures  the  wall  is  covered  to  a  depth  of  about 
eight  feet  with  a  diaper  pattern  in  two  tints  of  Indian  red  separated  bv 
a  narrow  band  of  white  from  the  lower  portion  of  the  wall  which  is 
diapered  in  green  to  a  height  of  some  three  feet  from  the  pavement. 
The  altar,  which  is  detached  from  the  wall,  is  surmounted  by  an  alabaster 
reredos  simple  in  general  form  but  judiciously  enriched  with  coloured 
marble  and  gold  Mosaic.  The  choir  stalls  are  extremely  plain  in  general 
form,  and  depend  for  their  effect  on  the  novel  introduction  of  iron 
grille-work  which  rises  behind  them,  and  forms  a  canopy  overhead.  It 
is  impossible  to  praise  too  highly  the  skill  and  attention  which  have  been 
bestowed  on  the  design  of  these  screens,  and  indeed  on  the  whole  of  the 
metal-work  in  this  church. 

The  groined  work  over  the  chancel,  nave,  aisles,  and  north  transept 
is  executed  in  brick  with  stone  ribs.  The  nave  is  divided  into  five  bays 
by  obtusely-pointed  arches  and  columns  which  are  nearly  cylindrical  in 
plan,  but  from  which  two  slender  shafts  project  towards  the  aisle,  appa- 
rently for  the  purpose  of  carrying  the  stone  ribs  of  the  aisle  vaulting. 

The  windows  of  this  church  are  simply  lancet  headed  without  cusping. 
At  the  west  end  they  are  arranged  in  double  couples  with  a  circular 
cusped  light  over  each  couple.  The  large  round  window  filled  with 
plate  tracery,  which  is  seen  in  the  centre  of  the  gable  outside,  lights  not 
the  church  itself  but  the  roof  above  the  groining.  The  square  bell 
turret  which  rises  to  the  right  of  the  gable,  and  the  three  bold 
buttresses  which  descend  to  the  narthex  below  are  unusual  features, 
and  add  considerably  to  the  original  and  picturesque  character  of  the 
composition. 


328  Mr.  Henry  JVoodycr. 


Such  is  a  brief  description  of  St.  Peter's,  Vauxhall,  a  work  which 
must  always  be  regarded  with  interest,  not  only  on  its  own  account  but 
as  marking  the  extent  to  which  the  Revival  was  for  a  while  influenced 
by  the  introduction  of  a  foreign  element  in  Gothic  design.  The  French 
school  found  many  admirers  among  the  Medievalists.  For  accurate 
knowledge  of  its  details,  skilful  adaptation  of  its  characteristic  features, 
and  intimate  acquaintance  with  its  hagiology  and  iconography,  Mr.  W. 
Burges  was  second  to  none.  Of  those  who  shared  his  views,  and  in 
some  cases  rivalled  his  ability,  may  be  mentioned  Messrs.  E.  W.  God- 
win, G.  Goldie,  J.  P.  Seddon,  and  at  first  (though  not  latterly)  Messrs. 
W.  E.  Nesfield,  R.  N.  Shaw,  and  J.  F.  Bentley,  besides  many  older 
practitioners  who,  like  Messrs.  G.  Somers  Clarke  and  R.  J.  Withers, 
found  themselves  more  or  less  influenced  by  the  prevailing  taste. 

From  these  last  there  were,  however,  some  notable  exceptions.  Mr. 
Butterfield,  for  instance,  modified  English  Gothic  after  his  own  fashion, 
but  in  his  hands,  and  perhaps  from  his  attachment  to  its  most  charac- 
teristic features,  its  tracery,  its  mouldings,  and  its  wood-work,  it  never 
lost  its  nationality.  Among  the  earliest  and  most  successful  followers 
of  Mr.  Butterfield's  school — the  school  which  has  been  marked  through- 
out by  a  steady  fidelity  to  Middle  Pointed,  which  has  avoided  the  ex- 
travagances of  the  Revival,  and  (except  in  a  few  instances)  has  resisted 
the  influence  of  Continental  study — is  Mr.  Henry  Woodyer,  His 
Church  of  the  Holy  Innocents  at  Highnam,  near  Gloucester,  is  an 
example  of  pure  scholarlike  design,  which,  without  pretending  to  any 
striking  originality  in  general  composition  or  treatment  of  detail,  reveals 
itself  at  first  sight  as  genuine  work  of  its  class.  The  tower  and  spire 
are  exquisitely  proportioned.  The  interior  is  enriched  with  mural 
paintings  executed  by  Mr.  T.  Gambier  Parry,  at  whose  cost  the  church 
was  erected  in  1849. 

A  smaller  but  perhaps  not  less  characteristic  work  of  the  same  archi- 
tect is  that  of  St.  Raphael's  College  at  Bristol,  a  set  of  almshouses  for 
the  use   of  retired   seamen,    commenced  in    1853.       This  modest  but 


St.  Raphael's  College,  Bristol.  329 


eminently  picturesque  building,  with  its  ample  roof  of  tiles  rising  from 
the  eaves  at  an  obtuse  angle  and  taking  a  steeper  pitch  above,  lighted 
by  dormer  windows,  and  its  snug  wooden  cloister  extending  the  whole 
length  of  the  principal  front,  is  thoroughly  English  in  spirit,  and  ap- 
parently well  adapted  for  its  purpose. 

In  the  chapel  attached  to  these  buildings  may  be  noticed  many  details 
in  which,  though  the  influence  of  Mr.  Butterfield's  taste  can  be  recog- 
nised, there  is  much  to  identify  the  author's  own  peculiarities  of  design. 
The  window  mullions  are  slight  and  acutely  chamfered,  the  cusping 
is  refined  and  thorny  in  outline.  There  is  a  tendency  to  concentrate 
rather  than  to  distribute  decorative  features  noticeable  in  the  elaborate 
external  canopy  over  the  east  window  and  in  the  picturesque  but  need- 
lessly complex  construction  of  the  wooden  belfry;  a  tendency  to 
naturalism  in  the  carved  work,  especially  in  the  corbels  of  the  nave 
arcade,  where,  in  defiance  of  Mr.  Ruskin,  running  blocks  and  other 
ship's  tackle  are  literally  represented  by  way  of  nautical  emblems  ;  a 
tendency  to  severity  in  the  reredos,  with  its  repetition  of  uncusped 
pointed  arches  and  six-winged  angels  only  relieved  from  monotony  by 
the  varied  treatment  and  exquisite  delicacy  of  the  sculptured  panels 
which  they  enclose  ;  a  tendency  to  simplicity  and  sober  grace  in  the 
general  proportions  of  the  interior — the  open  roof  with  its  canted  tie- 
beam,  the  plain  but  well-studied  chancel  fittings  and  alabaster  pulpit 

though  the  purist  may  take  exception  to  the  chamfer  decoration  of  the 
last  mentioned  feature. 

Two  years  later  Mr.  Woodyer  was  commissioned  by  Sir  Frederic 
Ouseley  to  design  the  Church  and  College  of  St.  Michael  at  Tenbury. 
The  former  is  a  steep-roofed  and  finely-composed  building,  depending 
for  effect  on  its  general  proportions,  which  are  excellent,  rather  than  on 
any  strongly  emphasised  or  highly  decorated  feature.  The  chancel, 
which  is  apsidal  in  plan,  is  lighted  by  long  two-light  windows  varying 
in  tracery  and  carefully  studied. 

In  his  additions  to  Eton  College,  1857,  Mr.  Woodyer  had  necessarily 


330    St.  Paul's,  Wokingham  ;  Surrey  County  Schools. 

to  deal  with  a  late  and  debased  type  of  Gothic,  but  he  has  made  the  best 
of  his  conditions,  and  perhaps  no  architect  of  our  day  adhering  absolutely 
and  conscientiously  to  the  class  of  sculptured  decoration  which  the  style 
admits  could  have  treated  it  more  effectively  than  he  has  done  in  his 
entrance  gateway  to  the  new  buildings,  where  the  mural  carved  work, 
though  formal  in  general  effect,  is  exquisitely  graceful  in  design,  and 
where  the  natural  foliage  which  enriches  the  panels  is  soberly  conven- 
tionalised without  losing  its  vitality.  Sometimes,  indeed,  he  lapses  into 
strange  eccentricities  of  detail,  as  in  the  interior  of  Christchurch,  Reading 
(1858),  where  the  head  of  the  chancel  arch  is  filled  with  tracery  sup- 
ported by  an  inner  and  obtusely-pointed  arch  springing  from  below  the 
main  impost.  The  canopied  capitals  of  the  piers  which  divide  the  nave 
from  the  north  aisle  are  also  of  a  type  which  it  is  difficult  to  accept  as 
agreeable  in  an  artistic  sense,  whatever  authority  there  may  be  for  their 
use  ;  but  even  here  these  idiosyncrasies  are  redeemed  by  a  certain  refine- 
ment of  motive  which  is  all  the  author's  own,  and  never  descend  to 
commonplace  extravagance,  while  every  moulding  employed  exhibits 
care  and  purposeful  design. 

In  the  Church  of  St.  Paul's,  Wokingham  (1861),  one  recognises  less 
individuality  of  conception,  and  impartial  critics  may  condemn  as  an 
sesthetic  error  the  almost  uniform  repetition  of  proportion  in  the  coupled 
windows  which  occur  immediately  under  each  other  in  the  tower.  But 
Mr.  Woodyer  is  an  artist  who  works  with  a  fixed  purpose,  and  would 
probably  be  prepared  to  defend  this  arrangement  by  his  own  theories. 

The  Surrey  County  Schools  (1863)  are  a  large  range  of  three-storied 
buildings  thoroughly  English  in  character,  but  of  such  marked  origin- 
ality that  it  would  be  difficult  to  refer  them,  except  as  regards  their 
details,  to  any  special  period  of  old  domestic  architecture.  Among  Mr. 
Woodyer's  contemporaries  there  is  probably  but  one  for  whose  design 
this  work  might  be  mistaken,  and  that  is  the  leader  of  his  school,  Mr. 
Butterfield.  The  wide  but  low-fronted  dormers  springing  from  above 
the  eaves,  and  carried  back  at  a  picturesque  angle  into   the  main  roof; 


All  Saints'  Hospital,  Eastbourne. 
If.  Woodyer,  Architect,  i86€ 


The  Convalescent  Hospital,  Eastbourne.  33 1 

the  square-headed  windows  of  the  first  floor;  the  simple  but  genuinely 
national  treatment  of  the  ornamental  brickwork ;  the  quaint  bell  turret 
rising  just  where  it  is  wanted  to  help  the  composition  ;  the  judicious  dis- 
position of  the  plan,  and  the  dignified  repose  of  the  whole  building,  are 
all  eminently  characteristic  of  the  author's  taste.  The  chapel,  a  long 
plain  building  with  a  round  apsidal  end  and  a  clerestory  lighted  by 
Early  Pointed  windows,  is  less  emphatically  English,  but  nowise  less 
graceful  in  its  simplicity.  It  was  raised  at  the  expense  of  Mr. 
H.  W.  Peek,  M.P. 

Another  example  of  Mr.  Woodyer's  skill  in  domestic  architecture  is 
All  Saints'  Convalescent  Hospital  at  Eastbourne,  a  large  and  plain  but 
effective  building,  well  adapted  for  its  purpose  and  situation. 

The  fenestration  is  light  and  cheerful,  the  distribution  of  parts  judi- 
cious and  none  the  less  interesting,  though  perhaps  somewhat  the  less 
convenient,  for  a  picturesque  crowding  of  dormers  and  chimney  shafts 
in  the  Sisters'  House.  The  steep  gable,  and  open  gallery  on  the  first 
and  ground  floor  of  this  wing  contribute  not  a  little  to  its  effect,  and 
are  repeated,  with  some  slight  variations,  at  the  entrance  porch. 

One  special  quality  in  Mr.  Woodyer's  work  is  that  it  is  uniformly 
studied  throughout.  It  is  not  mere  facade  planning.  Those  portions 
of  his  buildings  which  are  at  the  rear  and  seldom  seen  receive  as  much 
attention  as  the  principal  front.  This  is  particularly  noticeable  in  the 
House  of  Mercy  erected  by  the  Clewer  Sisterhood  at  Bovey  Tracy  in 
Devonshire — a  spacious  and  well-arranged  group  of  buildings  con- 
structed of  rough-dressed  granite  with  quoins  of  Bath  stone  and  tall 
picturesquely-treated  chimney  shafts  of  red  brick. 

The  principal  front  faces  the  south,  with  projecting  wings  at  east 
and  west,  the  former  being  the  loftier  of  the  two.  The  difference  of 
ground  level  gives  to  the  north  front  a  height  of  four  stories,  whereof 
the  uppermost  is  lighted  by  large  triangular  dormers  on  the  roof.  The 
chapel  attached  to  the  building  is  of  lofty  proportions,  with  a  semi- 
octagonal  east    end,  two  sides  of  which  are  panelled    internally  with 


332  The  House  of  Mercy  at  Bovey  Tracy. 

richly-veined  marble,  while  the  reredos  and  east  wall  are  lined  with 
alabaster,  which  material  is  also  used  for  the  columns  and  sides  of  the 
lancet  window  above.  The  reredos  is  divided  into  seven  niches  cano- 
pied with  the  acute  trefoil-cusped  heads  which  Mr.  Woodyer  specially 
affects.  In  each  niche  is  the  figure  of  an  angel,  carved  with  rare 
delicacy  and  refinement.  The  open  timber  roof,  west  gallery,  and 
wood  fittings  of  the  chapel  are  exceedingly  simple  but  excellent  of  their 
kind. 

The  picturesque  and  beautiful  site  of  this  building,  on  a  hill  over- 
looking the  village  of  Bovey  and  the  wild  moorland  beyond,  lend 
additional  interest  to  the  exterior,  which  in  effect  is  well  suited  to  the 
surrounding  scenery.  And  this  may  be  considered  no  small  merit 
when  we  remember  that  as  yet  time  has  done  little  or  nothing  to 
beautify  it.  Nor  does  its  general  design,  being  thoroughly  original, 
affect  in  any  absolute  degree  the  traditions  of  a  by-gone  style.  But  it 
has  caught  the  spirit  without  imitating  the  letter  of  old  English  work. 
It  is  the  design  of  an  architect  who  has  profited  by  antiquarian  study — 
not  that  of  an  antiquary  who  has  tried  his  hand  at  architecture. 


A  Truce  to  the  Battle  of  the  Styles.  333 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

HE  Revival  had  now  reached  a  stage  when  its  supporters  found 
themselves  called  upon  to  consider  a  fresh  question  regard- 
ing its  future  progress.  Their  cause  had  so  far  prospered  as 
to  survive  popular  prejudice,  to  be  recognised  and  approved  by  a  con- 
siderable section  of  the  artistic  public,  and  to  monopolise  the  services 
of  many  accomplished  architects.  The  Classic  school  was  by  no  means 
extinct,  but  it  was  in  a  decided  minority,  and  chiefly  represented  by 
members  of  the  profession  who  had  been  long  in  practice,  and 
who,  having  reaped  their  laurels  under  a  former  condition  of  taste, 
could  well  afford  to  let  their  younger  rivals  win  renown  by  following  a 
new  and  different  regime. 

There  was,  in  short,  a  truce  to  the  Battle  of  the  Styles,  interrupted 
no  doubt  by  skirmishes  here  and  there,  but  on  the  whole  well  and 
generously  maintained.  The  only  wonder  is  how  this  aesthetic  warfare 
could  have  been  so  unconscionably  prolonged.  The  waste  of  time,  of 
energy,  and  printer's  ink,  involved  by  endless  discussions  on  the  respec- 
tive merits  of  Mediaeval  and  Renaissance  architecture  during  twenty 
years,  can  only  be  realised  by  those  who  have  studied  the  current  art 
literature  of  that  period.  If  anything  has  been  left  unsaid  on  the 
subject,  any  argument  pro  or  con  omitted,  any  plea  forgotten,  it  is 
certainly  not  from  want  of  pains  or  ingenuity  on  the  part  of  disputants 
on  either  side. 

The  Medievalists,  however,  left  in  possession  of  their  ground,  had 
now  to  settle  some  important  points  among  themselves.  They  were 
free  to  follow  their  favourite  taste,  but  unfortunately  that  taste  could 


334  The  Medievalists  divided  in  Opinion. 

no  longer  be  considered  uniform  or  well  defined  in  its  details.  The 
introduction  of  a  foreign  element  in  the  Revival  of  Pointed  Architec- 
ture found  many  advocates  who  were  weary  of  the  cold  spiritless  copies 
of  old  work  which  had  long  passed  muster  as  good  English  Gothic. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  was  a  strong  party  who  felt  that  in  resigning 
the  nationality  of  their  art  they  would  yield  a  point  which  had  long 
been  considered  a  strong  one  in  its  favour.  A  third,  and  perhaps  more 
reasonable  section,  openly  admitted  that  they  saw  no  great  harm  in 
culling  from  Continental  architecture  such  graces  as  were  deficient  in 
our  own,  or  in  amalgamating  in  one  style  distinct  characteristics  of 
design  which  would  probably  have  been  long  since  universally  adopted 
but  for  causes  which  had  ceased  to  exist. 

This  eclecticism,  especially  when  applied  to  Mediaeval  design,  has 
been  severely  and  unfairly  condemned  by  many  critics  who  forget  that 
every  art  which  is  not  reduced  to  a  state  of  stagnation  must  always  be 
subject  to  external  influences,  and  that  the  facilities  of  travel  and 
study  which  we  now  enjoy  only  tend  to  accomplish  more  rapidly 
changes  which  have  been  at  all  times  inevitable.  The  history  of 
architecture  in  all  civilised  countries  bears  evidence  of  such  changes,  and 
whether  they  are  brought  about  by  the  sword  of  a  victorious  Norman 
baron  or  the  pencil  of  an  industrious  modern  architect  they  will  sooner 
or  later  come  to  pass. 

There  is  a  conservative  order  of  sentiment  which  sternly  rejects  every 
element  of  architectural  design  that  is  borrowed  from  abroad.  But  if  this 
principle  had  always  been  maintained  in  its  integrity  we  should  now  be 
building  after  the  fashion  of  our  Saxon  forefathers.  The  stanchest 
champion  of  English  Gothic  will  scarcely  deny  that  for  the  vigorous 
treatment  of  certain  features — as,  for  instance,  the  pier,  the  buttress, 
and  the  entrance  porch,  as  well  as  for  grace  of  form  in  sculpturesque 
detail — French  design  of  the  best  period  realised  an  excellence  which 
we  never  attained  in  this  country.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many 
qualities  in  our  Middle  Pointed  and  earlier  styles  wKirh  are  peculiarly 


The  Eclectic  and  the  Purist  Schools.  335 

adapted  to  our  climate  and  national  requirements.  To  unite  these 
distinct  characteristics  as  far  as  may  be  possible  in  our  modern  Revival 
seems  a  very  natural  and  obvious  course.  To  object  to  such  a  union 
seems  akin  to  sheer  bigotry.  The  wholesale  importation  of  a  foreign 
fashion  in  architecture,  such  as  took  place  in  England  under  the  Stuarts, 
and  such  as  seemed  possible  some  years  ago  when  the  rage  for  Venetian 
Gothic  was  at  its  height,  must  be  regarded  as  the  result  of  mere  caprice, 
and  cannot  be  defended  on  reasonable  grounds.  But  it  is  quite  possible 
to  avoid  this  extreme  without  running  into  the  opposite  one  of  excessive 
insularity. 

A  similar  kind  of  tolerance  may  fairly  be  recommended  to  those 
ultra-purists  who  are  alarmed  at  what  they  consider  an  anachronism 
involved  by  the  use  of  mouldings  and  other  details  belonging  to  one 
period  of  old  art,  in  structures  of  which  the  general  form  is  borrowed 
from  another  epoch.  In  such  cases  the  only  genuine  test  which  we  can 
apply  is  one  of  educated  but  independent  taste.  Is  the  compromise 
offensive  to  the  eye  ?  Does  it  represent  an  incongruity  of  form  as  well 
as  an  inconsistency  of  date  ?  If  so,  the  designer  is  indubitably  at  fault, 
but  if  not,  there  is  little  harm  done.  The  antiquary  may  grumble,  but 
the  artist  will  be  satisfied. 

To  this  conclusion  many  architects  came  some  ten  or  fifteen  years 
ago,  and  on  this  principle  not  a  few  of  their  works  have  since  been 
executed.  The  concession  was  not,  indeed,  universal,  and  it  showed 
itself  in  various  forms.  There  were  those  who,  while  strictly  adhering 
to  the  traditions  of  English  art,  had  no  chronological  scruples.  There 
were  others  who  thought  less  of  crossing  the  Channel  for  a  suggestion, 
than  of  bridging  over  a  gap  between  the  thirteenth  and  fifteenth 
centuries.  But  between  them,  the  pharisaism  of  architectural  design — 
the  superstitious  reverence  for  limits  of  time  and  place  which  had 
hitherto  prevailed,  fell  gradually  out  of  favour,  and  gave  place  to  a 
bolder  and  more  artistic  treatment  of  Gothic,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

It  has  been  observed  that  one  unfortunate  drawback  to  the  progress 


336  Mr.  T.  Hudson  Turner. 


of  the  Revival  in  England  was  occasioned  by  the  popular  and  deep  - 
rooted  but  thoroughly  erroneous  impression  that  Gothic  architecture  is 
only  suitable  for  buildings  of  an  ecclesiastical  character.  The  origin  of 
this  impression  is  easily  explained  when  we  remember  not  only  that 
most  of  the  richest  and  most  remarkable  relics  of  the  Middle  Ages 
which  have  been  preserved  in  this  country  are  represented  by  our 
churches  and  cathedrals,  but  that  they  are,  from  the  very  circumstances 
of  their  public  nature  and  uninterrupted  use,  always  more  accessible  and 
open  to  inspection  than  Mediaeval  structures  of  a  domestic  class.  The 
latter  are  for  the  most  part  private  property — sometimes  country 
mansions  separated  by  broad  acres  of  park  land  and  plantation  from 
the  rest  of  the  world,  and  sometimes  half-ruinous  houses  standing  in 
the  poorest  quarters  of  a  country  town,  or  if  in  a  tolerable  state  of 
preservation  given  up  to  commercial  purposes  which  rob  them  of  half 
their  ancient  dignity.  Even  in  places  where,  as  at  Chester  and  Shrews- 
bury, a  few  remain  intact,  they  cannot  be  planned  and  professionally 
examined  without  intruding  on  the  privacy  of  their  inhabitants. 

These  causes  naturally  kept  the  best  examples  of  old  secular  ar- 
chitecture from  the  careful  study  and  illustration  which  they  deserved. 
The  perspective  views  published  by  Nash  and  others  were  interesting 
from  an  artistic  point  of  view,  but  the  architect  and  the  antiquary 
wanted  more  than  this.  It  was  therefore  with  much  pleasure  that  the 
lovers  of  Mediaeval  art  hailed  in  185 1  the  publication  of  the  first  volume  of 
a  work  by  Mr.  T.  Hudson  Turner,  entitled, c  Some  account  of  Domestic 
Architecture  in  England  from  the  Conquest  to  the  end  of  the  Thirteenth 
Century.'  It  had  long  occurred  to  the  author  that  our  national  records 
might  be  made  available  for  such  a  history,  and  no  one  was  better 
qualified  than  himself  to  conduct  the  search  and  turn  it  to  practical 
advantage.  For  many  years  of  his  life  he  had  been  gleaning  materials 
from  every  possible  source,  literary  and  pictorial.  Mr.  R.  C.  Hussey, 
an  architect,  who  had  undertaken,  but  subsequently  abandoned,  a 
similar  task,  made   over  to  him  the  result  of  his  own  labours,  while 


Parker  s  History  of  Domestic  Architecture.     337 


Mr.  Twopeny,  Mr.  Blore,  and  Mr.  Nesbitt  placed  their  sketches  at  his 
disposal.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  author  to  extend  his  history 
from  the  thirteenth  to  the  fifteenth  century  ;  but  a  sad  fate  interrupted 
the  task.  Soon  after  the  completion  of  the  first  volume  Mr.  Hudson 
Turner  died  of  consumption,  and  it  was  left  to  his  friend  and  able 
coadjutor,  Mr.  J.  H.  Parker,  to  add  the  useful  and  entertaining 
volumes  which  have  since  been  published. 

It  is  the  special  characteristic  of  this  work  that  it  unites  in  a  succinct 
and   compendious  form  two  distinct  kinds  of  information,    viz.    that 
which  is  serviceable  to  the  architect  and  that  which  is  interesting  to  the 
antiquary.      The  social  habits  and  ordinary  life  of  our  Mediaeval  ances- 
tors are  of  course  intimately  associated  with  their  domestic  architecture, 
and  indeed  it  is  almost  necessary  for  the  explanation  of  the  last  to  under- 
stand the  former.      Mr.  Hudson  Turner  and  Mr.  Parker  left  no  chan- 
nel unexplored  to  arrive  at  this  information,  and  the  consequence  is  that 
these  volumes,  while  furnishing  a  vast  store  of  technical  details,  may  be 
read  with   equal   advantage  by   the   student  of  art  or  the  student  of 
history.     The  text  is  profusely  illustrated  by  woodcuts  executed  by  the 
careful  hand  of  Mr.  O.  Jewitt,  whose  knowledge  of  the  subject  enabled 
him  also  to   contribute  some   valuable  notes  and  suggestions.      Plans, 
sections,  and  elevations  of  many  a   noted  hall   and  mansion,  enlarged 
and  accurate  studies   of  doors,  windows,  roofs,  and  fireplaces  abound 
throughout    the    book.      Even    the    minutiae    of   furniture    and    dress 
receive  in    turn    their    proper  share  of  attention.      The  examples    of 
domestic    architecture    are  for   the   most    part    English,   but    when  it 
served  their  purpose  neither  Mr.  Turner   nor   Mr.  Parker  hesitated  to 
enrich    their    pages    with    descriptions    and    illustrations  of  Mediaeval 
France. 

The  truth  is  that  even  at  this  period  the  taste  for  French  Gothic  was 
steadily  gaining  ground,  and  when,  a  few  years  afterwards,  from  causes 
which  have  been  already  mentioned,  its  special  characteristics  received 
closer  and  more  accurate  study,  many  of  the  younger  English  architects 

z 


338  Unpopularity  of  early  Art. 


were  naturally  attracted  towards  a  style  which,  in  addition  to  its  intrinsic 
merits,  had  all  the  charm  of  novelty  to  recommend  it. 

Among  the  designs  submitted  for  the  Manchester  Assize  Courts  that 
of  Messrs.  Nesfield  and  Shaw  found  great  credit  among  professional 
critics  for  the  scholarlike  manner  in  which  early  French  details  had  been 
adapted  to  the  requirements  of  a  modern  municipal  building,  and  when 
at  a  later  period  Mr.  Shaw  entered  the  lists  as  a  candidate  in  the  Brad- 
ford Town  Hall  Competition,  his  conception  of  that  building  was  in 
many  respects  marked  by  a  similar  treatment. 

But  in  both  these  cases  it  may  be  said  that  the  taste  of  the  designers 
was  of  too  quaint  and  archaic  a  fashion  to  find  favour  with  that  section 
of  the  British  public  which  is  usually  represented  on  a  Competition  Com- 
mittee.    The  quality  of  such  work  is  too  exotic  and  far-fetched  for 
ordinary  appreciation.    It  stands  in  the  same  position  towards  the  world 
of  architectural   taste  as  the  inventions  of  Mr.  Burne   Jones  or  Mr. 
Simeon  Solomon  occupy  in  regard  to  our  modern  school  of  painting, 
and,  bating   its  foreign  origin,  as  the   poems   of  Mr.   Morris   fill   in 
the  field  of  literature.     It  is  the  prettier,  more  familiar,  less  recondite 
art  which  pleases  the  ordinary  amateur.     The  admirers  of  Wordsworth 
and  Longfellow,  the  admirers   of  Maclise  and  Landseer,  the  admirers 
of  Auber  and  Verdi,  will  always  have  their  corresponding  represen- 
tatives  among  architectural  dilettanti,    to  whom  the  return  to  earlier 
types  and  more  subtle  conditions  of  structural  grace  seems  as  pedantic 
and  unintelligible  as  an  attempt  to  imitate  the  manner  of  Van  Eyck,  the 
versification  of  Chaucer,  or  the  scientific  harmonies  of  Palestrina's  music. 
It  is  strange,  in  these  enlightened  days,  but  none  the  less  true,  if  we 
may  believe  those  whose  acquaintance  with  art  gives  weight  to  their 
opinion,  that  the  specimens    of  modern    house-building   and    church- 
building  which  receive  the  greatest  meed  of  praise,  which  are  described 
at    length  in   public  journals,    and    which    all   the  world  runs  to  see, 
are,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  but  commonplace  inventions  which  owe 
their  popularity  to  the  mere  scale  on  which  they  are  executed,  or  to  the 


A  Reaction  in  favour  of  'Late  Pointed'        339 

multiplication   of  ornamental  features  which  an  upholsterer  might  have 
devised. 

B  tween  such  work  as  this  and  that  of  the  advanced  and  most 
exclusive  school  of  modern  purists  there  are  of  course  many  ranks 
creditably  and  honourably  filled  by  architects  whose  early  studies,  whose 
taste  or  whose  range  of  practice  may  prevent  their  inclining  to  extremes. 
It  is  from  such  men  that  we  may  expect  a  steady  development  of  the 
Revival.  The  morbid  love  of  change,  the  restless  striving  after  effect 
and  originality  of  treatment  which  some  years  ago  characterised  the 
efforts  of  certain  designers,  has  worked  no  good  for  the  cause  of  Gothic 
art,  and  may,  if  renewed  at  the  present  stage,  threaten  its  extinction. 

It  is  remarkable  that  some  of  the  youngest  English  architects,  who 
at  the  outset  of  their  professional  career  seemed  pledged  to  the  adoption 
of  foreign  Gothic  in  its  earliest  form,  should  have  since  rendered  them- 
selves conspicuous  by  their  devotion  to  our  own  national  types  of  Late 
Pointed  work.  From  French  art  of  the  twelfth  century  to  the  English 
c  vernacular '  which  prevailed  at  the  close  of  the  sixteenth,  is  a  bold  leap, 
indicating,  indeed,  the  unsettled  state  of  architectural  taste  at  the  present 
day,  but  also  proving  the  remarkable  power  possessed  by  such  de- 
signers as  Mr.  Shaw  and  Mr.  Nesfield,  who  can  acquire  so  speedily  and 
so  thoroughly  the  special  characteristics  of  any  style  which  they  may 
select  for  imitation. 

And  this  peculiar  ability  is  shown  not  only  in  the  design  of  works 
which  from  their  size  and  costliness  admit  of  architectural  display,  but 
extends  to  those  which  not  many  years  ago  were  considered  beyond  or 
rather  beneath  the  range  of  artistic  study.  Whether  Mr.  Nesfield  has 
to  deal  with  a  large  and  important  country  house,  such  as  that  of 
Combe  Abbey,  for  the  Earl  of  Craven,  or  with  a  gate-keeper's  lodge, 
such  as  that  lately  erected  in  the  Regent's  Park  ;  whether  Mr.  Shaw  is 
planning  a  Thames-side  warehouse  or  a  sumptuously  appointed  man- 
sion like  Leyes  Wood  in  Sussex  (the  seat  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Temple)  ;  the 
result  in  each  case  is  distinguished  by  a  picturesque  management  of 


z  2 


340  Cloverley  Halt \  Shropshire. 


proportions,   a  careful   modelling  of  details,  and  an   ingenious  use   of 
features  which  recall  in  every  line  the  character  of  ancient  work. 

In  respect  of  size,  originality  of  design,  and  artistic  treatment  of 
decorative  detail,  it  would  be  difficult  to  select  a  better  example  of  the 
latest  phase  into  which  the  Revival  has  entered  than  Cloverley  Hall, 
begun  in  1862,  and  recently  completed  from  Mr.  Nesfield's  design  for 
Mr.  J.  Pemberton  Heywood.  To  describe  a  modern  building  by  the 
general  remark  that  its  style  can  be  properly  referred  to  no  precise 
period  in  the  history  of  styles,  would,  not  many  years  ago,  have  been 
equivalent  to  pronouncing  its  condemnation,  and  even  at  the  present 
time  there  are  but  few  designers  who  can  depart  from  recognised 
canons  of  taste  without  arriving  at  a  result  more  original  than  satis- 
factory. But  in  this  admirable  work  Mr.  Nesfield  has  succeeded  in 
realising  the  true  spirit  of  old-world  art,  without  hampering  himself 
by  those  nice  considerations  of  date  and  stereotyped  conditions  of  form 
which  in  the  last  generation  were  sometimes  valued  more  highly  than 
the  display  of  inventive  power. 

Cloverley  Hall  is  erected  on  a  wooded  slope  overlooking  a  lake  in  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  parts  of  Shropshire.  The  nature  of  the  site 
made  it  essentially  a  hill-side  house,  and  thus  involved  an  uneven  dis- 
tribution of  floor-levels  in  its  internal  arrangement.  Under  ordinary 
circumstances  this  condition  of  things  naturally  results  in  an  irregularity 
of  elevation  more  compatible  with  artistic  effect  than  domestic  con- 
venience. But  by  the  ingenious  planning  of  staircases,  and  a  judicious 
association  of  rooms  en  suite,  this  difficulty  has  been  overcome,  and  the 
peculiarity  of  the  levels  is  scarcely  noticeable. 

The  main  entrance  to  the  house  is  from  a  courtyard  on  the  upper 
level.  It  consists  of  a  spacious  vestibule  panelled  throughout  in  oak. 
Thence  access  is  obtained  under  the  music  gallery  to  the  great  hall, 
about  fifty-five  feet  long  and  twenty-eight  feet  high,  the  general  plan 
of  which,  with  its  ample  fireplace  and  large  bay  window,  is  not  unlike 
that  adopted  in   the  old  manor-house  at  Ockwells  in  Berkshire.     The 


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walls  are  lined  to  a  height  of  seventeen  feet,  with  small  oak  panels,  the 
ceiling  being  trabeated  and  moulded  in  the  same  material.  The  bay 
window  is  of  eight  lights  divided  horizontally  by  five  transoms,  and  filled 
with  stained  glass  of  an  heraldic  character,  executed  with  great  ability  by 
Messrs.  Heaton,  Butler,  and  Bayne,  by  whom  the  staircase  windows, 
&c,  were  also  painted.  The  fireplace  is  of  stone  enriched  with  mould- 
ings and  crowned  with  a  band  of  panels  containing  rilievi  representing 
nine  of  ^Esop's  fables,  carved  by  Forsyth.  Above  this,  the  oak  panel- 
ling, which  reaches  to  the  ceiling,  is  decorated  with  carved  work  of  a 
quaint  and  intricate  pattern. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  scheme  of  this  pattern,  like  that  of 
others  in  the  house,  is  eminently  suggestive  of  a  Japanese  origin. 
The  introduction  of  this  motif in  a  modern  specimen  of  the  Revival 
may  seem  anomalous,  but  it  has  long  been  held  by  the  most  liberal  of 
the  Mediaeval ists  that  there  are  elements  in  decorative  design  common 
to  good  art  of  all  ages,  and  certainly  in  this  instance  the  oriental  graft 
is  most  fruitful  in  effect.* 

From  the  great  hall  a  short  flight  of  steps,  groined  overhead,  leads 
down  to  the  lower  hall,  which  serves  as  a  garden  entrance  and  also 
communicates  with  adjoining  apartments.  This  hall  is  panelled  with 
long  amber-coloured  tiles,  and  enriched  with  a  frieze  of  the  same  ma- 
terial representing  birds,  &c,  painted  on  a  white  ground.  A  second 
flight  ot  steps  leads  upwards  from  the  great  hall  to  the  dinino--room, 
drawing-room,  and  library.  The  ceilings  of  the  latter  rooms  are 
executed  in  plaster,  elaborately  decorated  in  low  relief.  That  over 
the  dining-room  is  of  a  constructional  type,  revealing  large  beams  and 
moulded  joists,  while  a  broad  plaster  frieze,  representing  hariers  in  full 
chase,  is  carried  round  the  apartment.  The  fireplaces  in  these  rooms 
— as  indeed  throughout  the  house — are  richly  carved  and  panelled. 

Externally  the  house  possesses,  in  addition  to  the  general  picturesque- 

*  A  pleasant  hope  is  entertained  by  some  modern  Gothic  architects,  who,  like  Mr. 
Burges  and  others,  have  studied  '  the  figure'  for  decorative  purposes,  that  as  time  goes  on 
the  character  oi"  Greek  sculpture  may  be  revived  in  association  with  the  Pointed  arch. 


342  Exterior  of  CI  over  ley. 

ness  of  its  composition,  many  distinctive  characteristics  of  construction 
and  design.  The  bricks  of  which  the  main  masses  of  the  wall  are  built 
were  manufactured  expressly  for  this  building  on  the  estate,  and  are  far 
thinner  than  is  usual.  They  are  laid  with  a  thick  mortar  joint,  resembling 
the  style. of  work  in  old  houses  of  the  time  of  Henry  VIII.  The  parapets 
(about  three  feet  high)  are  of  wood,  covered  with  lead,  which  is  beaten 
outwards  at  intervals  in  the  form  of  large  rose-shaped  ornaments, 
quaintly  intersecting  each  other.  Above  this  parapet,  on  the  main 
front,  rise  lofty  dormers,  bearing  in  their  gables  sculptured  represen- 
tations of  the  seasons,  carved  by  Forsyth  from  designs  by  Mr.  A. 
Moore.  The  effect  of  these  figures,  which  are  about  two-thirds  of  life 
size  and  are  executed  in  very  low  relief,  is  very  striking. 

The  windows  throughout  the  house  are  large  and  boldly  treated, 
with  stone  mullions  and  square  heads,  the  architect  having  evidently 
preferred  this  simple  type  of  lintel  construction  to  a  multiplicity  of 
small  arches  and  elaborate  fenestration.  Indeed,  the  nature  of  the  whole 
design,  refined  and  skilful  as  it  is,  may  be  described  as  the  reverse  of 
pretentious.  Its  graces  are  of  a  modest,  unobtrusive  kind.  The  work  is 
homely  rather  than  grandiose,  and  though  it  bears  evidence  of  widely 
directed  study  it  certainly  derives  its  chief  charm  from  its  unmistakably 
national  character. 

It  is  a  special  aim  of  this  school  to  revive,  when  occasion  permits, 
the  distinctive  traditions  of  style  which  in  former  days  belonged  to 
certain  districts  of  England.  Thus  at  Leyes  Wood  Mr.  Shaw  has  done 
his  best  to  introduce  in  his  design  the  elements  of  old  Sussex  architecture. 
The  half  timber  construction,  the  tile-weathered  walls,  lofty  chimney 
shafts,  steep  roofs,  and  overhanging  gables  of  this  building  reflect  not 
only  national  but  local  peculiarities. 

If  we  compare  a  work  of  this  description  with  the  so-called  Tudor 
mansions  which  were  supposed  not  many  years  ago  to  have  realised  the 
true  spirit  of  Mediaeval  design,  the  extraordinary  advance  in  at  least  the 
imitative  power  of  our  architects  in  the  present  generation  becomes 
apparent.     Time  was  when  a  few  mullioned  windows,  a  battlemented 


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Mr.  R.  Norm  an  Shaw's  Works.  343 

parapet,  and  a  judicious  sprinkling  of  buttresses  and  pinnacles  presented 
even  to  people  of  acknowledged  taste  a  fair  embodiment  of  all  that  was 
excellent  in  Gothic  art.  In  point  of  real  fact  such  features  simply- 
parodied  the  style  from  which  their  forms  were  ostensibly  derived.  But 
at  Leyes  Wood  and  mansions  of  a  similar  kind  there  is  absolutely  nothing 
in  external  appearance  to  distinguish  the  design  and  workmanship  from 
those  of  a  building  executed  when  this  type  of  architecture  was  in 
ordinary  use.  The  irregularity  of  plan,  the  random  intersection  of 
roofs,  the  dormer  windows  half  hidden  in  odd  corners,  the  fenestration 
introduced  at  external  angles  of  the  house,  the  open  defiance  of  those 
principles  of  symmetry  which  were  once  considered  essential  to  grace  in 
the  old  and  academical  sense  of  the  word,  all  promise  a  complete  and 
thorough  change  in  the  aspect  of  our  rural  architecture,  at  least  if  such 
work  as  this  becomes  popular,  of  which  there  is  every  probability.  For 
with  all  its  quaintness  there  is  nothing  in  the  interior  of  the  house 
at  Leyes  Wood  incompatible  with  modern  ideas  of  comfort  and  con- 
venience. 

For  instance,  it  was  once  assumed  that  the  orthodox  ceiling  for  a  Gothic 
room  must  be  of  a  constructional  type,  or  in  other  words  that  it  was 
proper  to  exhibit  the  beams  and  rafters  overhead — a  picturesque  arrange- 
ment, indeed,  but  one  to  which  there  were  many  practical  objections. 
At  Leyes  Wood  the  ceilings  are  of  plaster  enriched  with  delicately 
moulded  ornament  in  low  relief.  A  frieze  of  the  same  material  is  carried 
round  the  walls  of  the  principal  rooms  and  decorated  at  intervals  with 
panels  in  which  rilievi  of  admirably  designed  foliage  are  introduced. 
Again,  though  c  pattern  glazing  '  is  adopted  for  the  upper  portions  of 
the  windows,  the  lower  halves  are  filled  with  plate  glass,  thus  meeting 
the  natural  objection  which  is  frequently  raised  against  a  Gothic  window 
of  the  primitive  type,  viz.  that  no  one  can  look  out  of  it  with  comfort. 
These  details  are  mentioned  here,  not  of  course  as  being  peculiar  to 
Leyes  Wood,  but  to  illustrate  a  few  out  of  numberless  instances  in  which 
the  style  adopted  by  Mr.  Shaw  admits  of  necessary  modification  without 
the  slightest  sacrifice  of  artistic  effect. 


344  Ley'cs  Wood  and  Glen  And  red. 


Nor  is  the  application  of  this  style  at  all  limited  by  the  size  of  the 
house  for  which  it  is  adopted.  Not  far  from  Leyes  Wood  is  '  Glen 
Andred,'  the  country  residence  of  Mr.  E.  W.  Cooke,  R.A.,  also  de- 
signed by  Mr.  Shaw,  and  realising  on  a  smaller  scale  all  the  picturesque 
elements  of  old  Sussex  architecture.  It  is  a  special  evidence  of  some 
architects'  ability  that  the  character  with  which  their  works  are  invested 
finds  expression  in  minute  details.  The  wooden  architraves,  door  panels, 
staircase  railings,  &c,  which  were  once  allowed  to  take  their  chance  at 
the  contractor's  hands,  or  were  only  selected  from  a  series  of  patterns 
submitted  for  approval,  have  of  late  years  become  to  architects  the  ob- 
jects of  as  much  attention  as  the  plan  of  a  room  or  the  proportions  of  a 
facade.  De  minimis  non  curat  lex  is  a  maxim  which  does  not  apply  to 
the  laws  of  design,  and  for  this  attention  to  small  matters  we  are 
indebted  to  the  Gothic  school,  and  especially  to  its  youngest  repre- 
sentatives. 

There  is  perhaps  no  feature  in  the  interior  of  even  an  ordinary  dwel- 
ling-house which  is  capable  of  more  artistic  treatment  than  the  fireplace 
of  its  most  frequented  sitting-room,  and  yet  how  long  it  was  neglected  ! 
The  Englishman's  sacred  '  hearth,'  the  Scotchman's  *  ain  fireside,'  the 
grandsire's  '  chimney  corner,'  have  become  mere  verbal  expressions,  of 
which  it  is  difficult  to  recall  the  original  significance  as  we  stand  before 
those  cold,  formal  slabs  of  gray  or  white  marble  enclosing  the  sprucely 
polished  but  utterly  heartless  grate  of  a  modern  drawing-room. 

How  picturesque  and  interesting  an  object  a  fireplace  may  become 
when  designed  by  an  artist's  hand  Mr.  Nesficld  has  shown  in  Mr.  H. 
Vallance's  house  at  Farnham  Royal,  of  which  the  annexed  woodcut 
is  an  illustration.  Features  of  a  somewhat  similar  kind  may  be  seen 
at  Glen  Andred  and  in  Mr.  Craik's  house  at  Shorthands,  both,  for  their 
size  and  in  their  respective  ways,  excellent  examples  of  Mr.  Shaw's  skill. 
To  draw  round  such  a  cosy  hearth  as  this  is  rarely  given  to  modern 
gossips. 

The  reaction  in  favour  of  English  Gothic  was  by  no  means  universal, 


Fireplace  at  Farnham  Royal. 


345 


and  even  at  the  present  time  there  are  many  architects  whose  work  is 
strongly  influenced  by  Continental  study.  Among  those  on  whom 
study  of  French  art  has  had  a  decided  and  permanent  influence  may  be 
mentioned  Mr.  George  Goldie.  This  gentleman,  formerly  as  a  partner 
of   Messrs.    Hadfield  and  Weightman,  and   subsequently  on  his  own 


account,  has  been  chiefly  employed  in  the  design  of  Roman  Catholic 
churches  and  conventual  establishments. 

The  part  which  the  Church  of  Rome  has  taken  in  the  Revival 
is  a  peculiar  one  and  not  devoid  of  historical  interest.  In  early 
days,   as  we   have  seen,    Dr.    Milner   was  one  of  the  first  and    most 


346  The  Church  of  Rome  and  the  Revival. 

zealous  supporters  of  the  Gothic  cause,  which  was  afterwards  ably- 
advocated  by  the  pen  of  Carter  and  sustained  by  the  professional  ability 
(continued  through  three  generations)  of  the  Buckler  family,  whose 
name  is  creditably  associated  with  the  works  at  Costessy  Hall,  under- 
taken for  a  Roman  Catholic  nobleman  (Lord  Stafford).  The  Earl  of 
Shrewsbury,  another  member  of  the  same  Church,  found  in  Pugin  an 
enthusiast  whose  ecclesiastical  zeal  was  only  equalled  by  his  Mediaeval 
sympathies  ;  and  at  the  time  that  St.  Chad's  at  Birmingham,  St.  Barnabas' 
at  Nottingham,  and  St.  George's  pro-cathedral  in  London  were  being  raised 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  Church  of  England  was  far  behind  its  rival 
in  the  encouragement  of  Gothic  art.  Even  at  a  later  period  the  Roman 
Catholic  churches  built  by  Mr.  C.  Hansom  at  Erdington  and  Liver- 
pool, by  Mr.  W.  Wardell  at  Brook  Green,  Clapham,  Greenwich,  and 
Poplar,  by  Mr.  Hadfield  at  Sheffield,  Manchester,  &c,  and  the  graceful 
chapel  in  Farm  Street,  London,  by  Mr.  J.  Scoles,  were  all  model 
works  in  their  day,  and  equal,  if  not  in  some  cases  superior,  to  any 
similar  structures  erected  for  the  Establishment.  But  for  all  this,  the 
Church  of  Rome  has  never  been  so  earnestly  or  consistently  identified 
with  the  Revival  as  the  Church  of  England.  It  is  well  known  that 
Pugin's  views  on  ritual  and  ecclesiastical  usage  towards  the  latter  end  of 
his  life  gave  offence  to  many  who  shared  his  faith,  and  after  his  death 
there  was  a  reaction  in  the  artistic  predilections  of  the  Romish  clergy 
from  the  influence  of  which  they  have  never  been  thoroughly  relieved. 

This  reaction  may  be  ascribed  to  three  principal  causes.  The  first 
was  the  Irish  immigration,  in  consequence  of  which  the  Roman  Catholics 
were  suddenly  called  on  to  provide  churches  for  nearly  a  million  of 
their  poorer  brethren,  and  this  too  in  districts  which  could  ill  afford  the 
expense.  Schools,  priests'  houses,  and  convents  had  to  be  erected 
throughout  the  land,  and  in  nearly  every  case  for  the  smallest  possible 
amount  of  money. 

The  congregation  for  whose  benefit  these  works  were  proposed 
could     of   course     contribute    little    or    nothing    towards     their    cost. 


Obstacles  to  R.  Catholic  encouragement  of  Gothic.    347 

The  wealthy  Catholics  had  had  their  purses  drained  by  subscriptions 
levied  for  the  richer  and  more  artistic  churches  of  the  Revival,  and  the 
consequence  was  that  the  structures  which  were  now  required  had  to  be 
executed  in  any  style  or  no  style — it  mattered  little — so  long  as  they 
were  built  and  occupied. 

The  second  cause  which  operated  adversely  to  the  interests  of  Gothic 
— so  far  as  the  Church  of  Rome  is  concerned — was  the  introduction 
into  England  of  certain  religious  orders  of  an  Italian  origin  or  character. 
Such  were  the  Redemptorists,  the  Oratorians,  the  Passionists,  &.c, 
communities  through  whose  influence  and  taste  such  works  as  the 
Brompton  Oratory  (which  cost  no  less  than  22,000/.)  and  the  Pas- 
sionist  Church  at  Highgate  were  raised.  Even  when  Gothic  was 
adopted,  the  unfortunate  architect  found  himself  trammelled  by  specific 
conditions  which  too  frequently  marred  the  effect  of  his  design. 
Shallow  chancels,  naves  of  disproportionate  width,  thin  piers,  and  altars 
planned  after  an  Italian  fashion  became  necessary,  and  finally,  after  a 
fierce  controversy,  that  beautiful  feature  in  church  architecture — the 
rood-screen — was  condemned.* 

The  third  obstacle  to  Roman  Catholic  encouragement  of  the  Revival 
was  the  preference  which  Cardinal  Wiseman  entertained  for  Renaissance 
art.  It  is  true  that  for  a  time  and  while  guided  by  the  advice  of  such  men 
as  the  late  Mr.  Pugin  and  Dr.  Rock,  he  offered  no  opposition  to  Gothic, 
but  his  private  tastes  were  directly  at  variance  with  Mediaeval  ism,  and 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  made  no  secret  of  the  fact.  For 
some  years  before  he  died  most  of  the  churches  erected  under  his 
authority  were  of  a  quasi-Italian  character,  and  by  no  means  satisfactory 
examples  of  that  school. 

Since  the  Cardinal's  death  there  has  been  manifest  evidence  of  a 
desire  among  the  Roman  Catholics  to  return  to  Pointed  Architecture 

*  To  such  an  extent  was  this  form  of  prejudice  carried,  that  at  Clapham  a  rood-screen 
of  very  beautiful  workmanship,  which  was  in  course  of  completion,  is  said  to  have  been 
taken  down  and  destroyed. 


348         Abbey  of  St.  Scholasfica,  Teignmouth. 

for  their  churches,  schools,  and  convents  ;  but  unfortunately  the  de- 
mand for  cheap  showy  buildings  has  not  abated,  and  the  consequence 
is  that  in  this  direction  the  artistic  aspect  of  the  Revival  has  consider- 
ably suffered.  There  are,  however,  some  notable  exceptions.  Messrs. 
Clutton,  Hadfield,  Goldie,  Hansom,  Buckler,  Willson,  and  Nicholl  have 
each  in  their  several  ways  done  their  best  to  secure  honest  and  sub- 
stantial work — and  to  keep  clear  of  that  tawdry  superficial  style  of 
design  which  brings  discredit  on  the  Gothic  cause. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Abbey  of  St.  Scholastica  at  Teignmouth  is  a 
very  creditable  example  of  Mr.  Goldie's  skill.  Symmetrical  in  its 
general  plan,  broad  and  massive  in  its  constructive  treatment,  and  pure 
in  its  decorative  details,  it  wears  an  appearance  at  once  of  grace  and 
solemnity  eminently  characteristic  of  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
erected,  and  well  adapted  to  its  picturesque  site,  on  a  hill  overlooking 
the  coast  of  South  Devon.  The  principal  front  faces  the  sea  and  con- 
sists of  three  stories,  whereof  the  second  is  enriched  by  mural  arcuation, 
the  alternate  voussoirs  of  each  arch  as  well  as  the  engaged  shafts  on 
which  they  are  carried  being  of  red  sandstone.  From  this  front  two 
wings  project  southwards.  That  on  the  left  hand  (including  some  of 
the  reception  rooms,  &c.)  presents  a  well-proportioned  gable  on  which 
the  arcade  is  repeated,  with  a  trefoil-headed  window  above.  The  right 
wing  is  a  chapel,  from  the  end  of  which  rises  a  cleverly  treated  bell- 
turret.  Between  these  two  wings,  which  reach  a  lower  level  on  the  site 
than  the  intermediate  block,  a  broad  terrace  walk  is  formed,  intersected 
in  the  centre  by  a  flight  of  steps.  Fastidious  critics  have  pointed  out 
that  these  steps  lead  to  no  entrance  doorway,  that  a  blank  dormer  on 
the  left  wing  is  improperly  used  as  a  chimney  shaft,  and  that  the  upper- 
most windows  on  the  same  side  are  unfortunately  close  to  the  eaves  ; 
but  these  are  minor  faults  amply  redeemed  by  more  prominent  excel- 
lences in  the  work,  which  without  the  slightest  approach  to  archaism  or 
pedantry  realises  some  of  the  most  valuable  and  attractive  qualities  of 
Mediaeval  art. 


jTJ- 

•       : 


rO 


R.  C.  Church  of  St.  Mary,  Kensington.         349 


The  pro-cathedral  of  St.  Mary  at  Kensington,  also  designed  by  Mr. 
Goldie,  is  another  and  later  evidence  of  the  favour  with  which  Gothic 
architecture  has  been  regarded  by  Roman  Catholics  during  Dr.  Man- 
ning's Archiepiscopate.  The  external  effect  of  this  church  is  much 
marred  by  the  surrounding  buildings  which  hem  it  in  on  every  side. 
These,  however,  will,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  disappear  in  due  time,  and  allow 
the  fine  proportions  and  rich  sculpture  of  the  western  porch  to  be  seen 
to  greater  advantage  than  at  present. 

The  interior  is  remarkable  for  the  height  of  its  nave,  which  is  pro- 
vided with  a  clerestory  and  unpierced  triforium.  The  nave  arcade  is 
pointed,  but  the  arch  soffits  are  flat  and  simply  enriched  by  a  single  bead 
moulding  at  the  edge.  The  shafts  are  cylindrical,  about  two  feet  in 
diameter,  and  of  polished  granite,  divided  at  about  half  their  height 
by  a  richly-moulded  stone  band.  The  abaci  and  large  boldly  under 
cut  foliage  of  the  capitals  are  decidedly  French  in  character.  The 
carving  of  these  features,  as  indeed  throughout  the  church,  is  executed 
with  remarkable  vigour,  and  is  a  striking  contrast  to  the  small  frittered 
style  of  work  which  passed  for  decorative  sculpture  in  Pugin's  days, 
and  which  in  a  town  church,  where  dust  and  soot  quickly  accumulate, 
is  for  obvious  reasons  unsuitable.  The  roof,  which  is  ceiled,  follows 
the  outline  of  a  trefoil-headed  arch — a  form  not  often  adopted,  but 
here  peculiarly  effective.  The  bays  of  the  south  aisle  are  recessed  for 
altars  and  lighted  by  circular  windows,  each  under  a  pointed  arch. 
The  aisle  walls  are  of  brick,  plastered  internally.  This  fact,  together 
with  the  pure  whiteness  of  the  stone-work,  gives  the  interior  a  some- 
what cold  appearance,  which  will  no  doubt  be  removed  in  time  by 
fresco  painting  or  other  chromatic  decoration.  There  are  many  in- 
cidents in  the  design  of  this  church — such  as  the  corbelling  out  of  the 
chancel  arch — which  are  very  ingenious  and  original.  Every  detail 
throughout  the  work — even  to  the  novel  gas-standards — bears  evidence 
of  artistic  care,  and  though  purists  may  regret  the  rendering  of  groins 
in  plaster,  and  the  unorthodox  position  of  the  organ-loft,  it  would   be 


350        IVorks  of  Mr.  Go  f die,  and  of  Mr.  Hadficld. 

manifestly  unfair  to  hold  the  architect  responsible  for  conditions  of 
arrangement  and  economy,  against  which,  as  we  know,  professional 
protests  are  usually  of  small  avail. 

Mr.  Goldie  may  be  said  to  hold  a  middle  place  between  the  old  and 
modern  school  of  design.  He  had  the  advantage  of  starting  in  his 
profession  when  the  study  of  Gothic  was  considerably  widened  and  re- 
lieved from  the  bondage  which  some  twenty  years  ago  still  limited  its 
range  to  national  examples.  But  it  is  curious  to  mark  the  extraordinary 
progress  which  the  revived  style  has  made  in  the  hands  of  another 
Roman  Catholic  architect,  Mr.  M.  E.  Hadrleld,  who  as  a  contemporary 
of  Pugin  has  seen  a  complete  revolution  in  the  principles  of  Mediaeval 
art,  and  has  managed  in  spite  of  old  prejudices  and  early  influence  to 
keep  pace  with  the  times  and  hold  his  own  in  competition  with  younger 
rivals.  The  Church  of  St.  Marie  at  Sheffield,  opened  for  service  in 
1850,  was  then  considered  a  model  of  excellence.  But  if  we  compare 
its  details  with  those  of  any  of  Mr.  Hadneld's  more  recent  works — that 
of  the  chapel  erected  for  the  Notre-Dame  Sisterhood  at  Liverpool,  for 
example — we  shall  see  how  great  a  change  has  taken  place  not  only  in 
the  absolute  forms  but  in  the  spirit  and  character  of  Gothic  since 
Pugin's  days.  The  apsidal  end  of  this  chapel,  the  plate  tracery,  the 
marble  shafts  from  which  the  groining  springs,  the  fleche  which  rises 
from  the  roof  ridge,  the  very  weathering  of  the  buttresses,  gathered  up 
in  masses  instead  of  being  tamely  distributed  throughout  their  length 
— all  these  indicate  an  advance  in  architectural  taste  which  augurs 
well  for  the  future  of  the  Revival,  especially  when  we  remember  that 
it  is  exemplified  not  only  in  the  works  of  the  rising  generation  of 
architects,  but  in  the  works  of  those  whose  age  and  experience  naturally 
tend  to  keep  them  aloof  from  the  extravagances  of  a  fleeting  fashion, 
and  who  may  be  therefore  supposed  to  have  remodelled  their  manner 
of  design  under  a  conviction  that  such  a  change  is  to  be  justified  on 
artistic  grounds. 

Regarded  broadly,  the  association    of  Roman    Catholicism  with  the 


Western  Doorway  of  St.  Marys  (R.  C.)  pro-Cathedral  Church. 

George  Goldie,  Architect,  1867. 


The  Revival  independent  of  Religions  Creed.      351 

Revival  may  be  attributed  more  to  the  accident  that  many  eminent 
architects,  including  Pugin,  have  belonged  to  that  faith  than  to  any 
supposed  sympathy  between  the  Church  of  Rome  and  Mediaeval  art. 
Gothic  architecture  is  now  constantly  adopted  by  Dissenters  for  their 
schools  and  chapels,  and  it  would  be  as  foolish  to  suppose  the  percep- 
tion of  its  merits  limited  to  a  particular  sect  as  it  certainly  would  be 
bigoted  to  desire  such  a  limit  in  any  direction.  The  belief  in  good 
art  is  at  least  a  harmless  creed  which  may  be  shared  in  common  by 
many  who  differ  from  each  other  on  more  important  matters.  There 
was  a  time  when  the  Pointed  arch  bade  fair  to  become  a  symbol  of  ex- 
treme views  in  theological  controversy.  But  that  period  has  long  since 
passed.  The  application  of  Mediaeval  principles  to  the  design  of 
secular  buildings  has  tended  to  remove  many  foolish  prejudices  on  this 
score,  and  the  day  may  be  not  far  distant  when,  so  far  as  external  ap- 
pearance is  concerned,  it  will  be  difficult  to  distinguish  the  church  from 
the  conventicle. 


352  A.D.  i860  to  1870. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

URING  the  last  ten  years  to  which  this  history  extends,  viz. 
from  i860  to  1870,  the  list  of  Gothic  architects  has  reached 
an  extraordinary  length,  while  the  number  of  buildings  par- 
taking more  or  less  of  a  Medieval  character  which  have  been  erected 
within  that  period  is  probably  double  that  of  the  preceding  decennium. 
Nor  is  the  difference  of  quality  in  this  class  of  design  less  remarkable 
than  the  increased  range  of  its  application.  There  are  architects  now  in 
practice,  whose  professional  career  dates  from  more  than  thirty  years  ago, 
who  remember  what  may  be  called  the  pre-Puginesque  aspect  of  the 
Revival,  and  whose  works  have  been  marked  by  a  steady  improvement 
in  artistic  taste  from  that  time  to  the  present.  But  there  are  many  more 
who  began  to  design  under  advantages  which  were  unknown  to  the  pre- 
vious generation,  who  have  learnt  by  degrees  to  distinguish  between  the 
faults  and  merits  of  Pointed  architecture,  and  who,  having  studied  the 
style  with  respect  to  its  local  and  national  characteristics,  are  enabled  to 
attain  an  individuality  of  treatment  to  which  their  predecessors  could 

not  aspire. 

In  addition  to  the  architects  already  mentioned  there  are  several  whose 
work  may  be  recognised  by  special  traits  of  taste  either  distinctly  per- 
sonal or  represented  by  that  unconscious  mannerism  which  results  from 
the  common  sympathies  and  artistic  fellowship  of  a  particular  clique. 
To  one  or  other  of  these  classes  belong  Messrs.  Burges,  E.  W.  Godwin, 
Bodley,  Blomfield,  Seddon,  Brooks,  Champneys,  and  G.  G.  Scott  jun. 

It  would  be  difficult,  even  if  it  were  within  the  scope  of  this  work,  to 
attempt  so  much  as  a  general  definition  of  the  several  qualities  of  excel- 


The  Works  of  Mr.   IV.  B urges.  353 


lence  for  which  these  artists'  designs  are  remarkable.  Disparity  of  age, 
unequal  opportunities,  differences  of  professional  education  or  line  of 
practice,  would  render  a  comparison,  and  even  an  analysis  of  such 
qualities,  fallacious.  Of  all,  however,  it  may  be  said  that  they  have 
become  known  to  fame,  if  not  exactly  as  contemporaries,  yet  at  short 
intervals  within  the  last  ten  years. 

If  the  extent  of  an  architect's  practice  were  always  in  proportion  to 
his  artistic  ability  the  works  of  Mr.  W.  Burges  might  ere  this  have 
been  found  in  every  part  of  England  to  which  the  Revival  has  ex- 
tended. No  student  of  his  time  devoted  himself  more  earnestly  and 
sedulously  to  master  the  principles  of  Mediaeval  design.  No  member 
of  his  profession  has  striven  more  persistently  and  thoroughly  to  uphold 
those  principles,  to  advocate  their  general  adoption,  and,  whenever  he 
has  had  an  opportunity,  to  give  them  material  expression. 

Yet  it  is  only  since  i860  that  any  building  of  importance  has  been 
erected  from  his  design.  We  have  seen  that  in  a  competition  open  to 
all  Europe,  after  carrying  off",  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Clutton,  the  first 
prize  for  Lille  Cathedral,  he  and  his  colleague  were  unfairly  excluded 
from  the  honour  of  erecting  it.  Mr.  Burges  has  since  played  a  prominent 
part  in  more  than  one  public  competition,  but  in  one  case  only  has  he 
traversed  this  always  arduous  road  to  fame  with  anything  like  substantial 
success.  And  even  the  cathedral  church  of  St.  Finbar,  Cork,  the  com- 
mission for  which  he  gained  in  1863,  affords  little  scope  for  his  ability, 
not  because,  for  its  purpose,  the  building  is  a  comparatively  small  one, 
but  because  the  sum  set  apart  for  its  cost  renders  it  impossible  at  present 
to  complete  the  structure  in  accordance  with  the  architect's  original 
intention. 

Mr.  Burges's  design  may  generally  be  distinguished  by  two  leading 
and  strongly  marked  characteristics,  viz.  the  tendency  towards  an 
early  type  of  French  Gothic,  and  the  attention  bestowed  on  figure 
drawing  in  decorative  sculpture.  The  various  essays  which  he  has 
written  and  the  lectures  which  he  has  delivered  contain  ample  apology, 

A    A 


354  Cathedral  Church  of  St.  Finbar,  Cork. 


if  apology  be  needed,  for  both  these  peculiarities,  and  if,  as  seems  likely, 
they  hereafter  become  the  peculiarities  of  a  school,  it  will  be  mainly  due 
to  his  influence  and  example. 

Simple  and  severe  as  the  west  front  of  St.  Finbar  is,  Mr.  Burges 
could  not  resist  the  opportunity  which  it  afforded  for  the  exercise  of  that 
art  which  he  holds  to  be  the  one  indispensable  attribute  of  architectural 
effect.  The  spandrils  of  the  wheel  window,  which  occupies  a  central 
position  in  the  facade,  are  filled  with  life  size  rilievi  of  the  four 
evangelistic  symbols  carved  in  the  solid  masonry  of  the  wall.  In  the 
gable  above  a  seated  figure  of  Christ  is  to  occupy  a  vesica-shaped  panel 
with  angels  censing  on  either  side.  Of  these  works,  executed  by  Mr. 
Thomas  Nicholls  from  Mr.  Burges's  design,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say 
that  no  finer  examples  of  decorative  sculpture  have  been  produced 
during  the  Revival.  They  exactly  represent  that  intermediate  condition 
between  natural  form  and  abstract  idealism  which  is  the  essence  of 
Mediaeval  and  indeed  of  all  noble  art,  and  they  possess  the  further 
merit  of  being  admirably  adapted  to  their  position. 

Mr.  Burges  has  done  much  to  dissipate  the  frivolous  extravagance  of 
detail  and  wilful  irregularities  of  plan  which  once  found  favour  with 
those  younger  architects  who  for  a  while  mistook  license  for  freedom 
in  design  and  conceived  that  the  conditions  of  Gothic  art  were  not 
thoroughly  fulfilled  unless  one  half  of  an  elevation  differed  from  the 
other  and  every  edge  in  masonry  or  woodwork  were  notched  or  cham- 
fered. 

His  own  work,  careful  and  scholarlike  in  its  treatment,  never  con- 
descends to  such  vagaries.  While  devoted  to  the  archaeological  aspect 
of  architecture,  and  especially  to  the  study  of  all  the  decorative  arts  with 
which  it  is  allied,  he  can  deal  effectively  when  occasion  demands  with 
plain  bricks  and  mortar,  tempering  his  inventive  power  in  such  instances 
to  conditions  of  site  and  purpose  which  are  generally  considered  incom- 
patible with  artistic  design.  A  model  lodging-house  for  the  poor  in 
St.  Ann's  Court,   Soho,   and  a  warehouse  in   Upper  Thames   Street, 


New  Tower  at  Cardiff  Castle.  355 

erected  between  1864  and  1866,  have  tested  this  ability  to  the  full, 
and  with  a  result  which  is  hopeful   for  our  city  lanes  and  alleys. 

One  of  Mr.  Burges's  most  recent  works  is  the  new  tower  at  Cardiff 
Castle,  recently  erected  for  the  Marquis  of  Bute,  and  perhaps  no  better 
subject  could  have  been  suggested  for  the  exercise  and  illustration  of 
his  peculiar  talents. 

A  tower  in  itself  is  essentially  a  Mediaeval  structure,  and  this  one 
happens  to  unite  all  the  architectural  severity  usually  associated  with 
such  a  feature  to  graces  of  sculptured  and  pictorial  decoration,  which 
in  its  internal  appointments  have  given  full  scope  for  the  designer's 
luxuriant  fancy.  The  outside  of  the  tower,  up  to  a  height  of  about 
sixty- five  feet  from  the  ground,  is  a  rectangular  block  of  masonry 
pierced  with  narrow  windows  on  three  sides.  At  that  level  each  wall 
is  divided  into  arched  panels,  whereof  the  centre  is  given  up  to  the 
clock-face  and  the  rest  are  occupied  by  life-size  figures  symbolising  the 
principal  planets. 

The  topmost  story  of  the  tower  overhangs  the  substructure,  the  walls 
being  machicolated  or  corbelled  outwards  to  the  necessary  width,  and 
the  whole  is  surmounted  by  a  highly  picturesque  roof  broken  into  two 
slopes  by  a  lantern  light  of  trefoil-headed  windows.  On  this  apartment, 
which  is  appropriated  as  a  summer  smoking-room,  and  on  those  below, 
devoted  to  winter  occupation,  the  architect  has  lavished  his  utmost  care. 
Stained  glass,  mural  painting,  marble,  encaustic  tiles,  and  wood  inlay  of 
a  rich  and  delicate  description  will,  when  the  work  is  finished,  present  an 
appearance  of  artistic  beauty  which,  since  the  Middle  Ages,  has  rarely 
been  realised  in  this  country. 

As  a  rule  the  architect's  labour  terminates  with  the  structural  com- 
pletion of  the  building  which  he  is  commissioned  to  design.  The 
interior  is  given  up  to  upholsterers  and  decorators,  who  too  frequently 
are  allowed  to  execute  their  work  independently  of  his  control.  It  is 
to  this  cause  that  we  may  attribute  the  melancholy  bathos  which  exists 
between  what  we  call  fine  art  and  industrial  art  in  modern  days.     We 


A  A    2 


356  l  Knight  shay es!  Devon. 

enter  a  Renaissance  palace  or  a  Gothic  mansion  and  find  them 
respectively  fitted  up  in  the  style  of  the  nineteenth  century,  which  in 
point  of  fact  is  no  style  at  all,  but  the  embodiment  of  a  taste  as 
empirical,  as  empty,  and  as  fleeting  as  that  which  finds  expression  in  a 
milliner's  fashion  book. 

This  goodly  tower  of  Cardiff  Castle  is  an  excellent  and  notable  ex- 
ception to  a  foolish  custom.  Its  interior,  from  roof  to  basement,  has 
been  the  object  of  as  much  care  to  Mr.  Burges  as  its  external  aspect, 
and  down  to  the  minutest  detail  exhibits  evidence  of  thoughtful  study. 
Knightshayes,  near  Tiverton,  the  residence  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Amory, 
M.P.,  is  another  example  of  this  architect's  skill  in  the  field  of  domestic 
architecture.  A  reference  to  the  illustration  of  this  building  will  show 
that,  though  the  main  front  is  uniform  in  its  general  masses,  the  entrance 
doorway  is  not  precisely  in  the  centre.  This  slight  deviation  from  what 
is  commonly  called  symmetry  in  design  was  no  doubt  adopted  for  con- 
venience of  internal  arrangement,  and  is  an  instance  of  the  ease  with 
which  a  Gothic  elevation  may  accommodate  itself  to  exigencies  of  plan 
without  sacrifice  of  artistic  effect.  In  the  case  of  an  Italian  villa  such  a 
license  would  have  been  almost  impossible. 

The  class  of  art  to  which  Knightshayes  belongs  is  of  a  severer  type 
than  that  adopted  at  Eatington,  and  less  emphatically  national  than  that 
which  characterises  Leyes  Wood.  The  reddish  local  stone  employed 
for  the  masonry  is  extremely  hard,  and  there  is  a  kind  of  sympathy 
between  its  stern  unyielding  nature  and  the  robust  rather  than  refined 
character  of  the  work  with  which  it  is  associated. 

Massive  walls,  bold  gables,  stout  mullions  nearly  half  the  width  of 
the  lights  which  they  divide,  large  and  solid  looking  chimney  shafts, 
corbelled  from  the  walls  or  riding  on  the  high  pitched  roofs,  are  the 
principal  incidents  which  give  this  building  dignity  and  effect.  Such 
gentler  graces  as  are  imparted  into  the  design  by  aid  of  mouldings  or 
decorative  sculpture  (as  in  the  central  dormer)  indicate  a  French  origin. 
The  great  feature  of  the  interior  is  a  large  hall  to  be  used  for  the  re- 


1~J    '■ 


3 


The  Dangers  of  Liberty  in  Design.  357 

ception  of  the  owner's  tenantry.  This  is  fitted  up  with  a  gallery  and 
rostrum  at  one  end,  and  is  eminently  picturesque  both  in  plan  and  pro- 
portions. For  this  quality  of  design  as  well  as  for  a  certain  vigour  of 
treatment,  Knightshayes  may  be  considered  a  typical  example  of  the 

Revival. 

There  is  perhaps  no  better  sign  of  the  extent  to  which  architectural 
taste  has  been  cultivated  and  refined  within  the  last  ten  years  than  the 
marked  and  steady  increase  of  simplicity  in  the  design  of  Gothic — at 
least  among  the  most  accomplished  of  our  Mediaeval  school.  In  the 
earliest  days  of  the  Revival,  when  architects  were  content  to  copy,  and 
while  a  belief  still  lingered  that  the  distinctive  features  of  Pointed  archi- 
tecture could  be  measured  out  bit  by  bit  and  applied  to  this  or  that 
facade  under  a  system  as  complete,  as  infallible,  and  as  decorous  as  that 
which  had  been  devised  for  the  Five  Orders  during  the  late  Renaissance, 
dullness  and  formality  necessarily  prevailed.  Then  came  a  reaction. 
Under  the  influence  first  of  Pugin  and  afterwards  of  Ruskin,  architects 
found  themselves  suddenly  emancipated  from  the  conditions  and  restric- 
tions which  had  hampered  their  efforts,  and  the  result  was  at  first 
a  reckless  extravagance  of  design.  It  was  delightful  to  invent  new 
mouldings,  to  revel  in  fresh  whims  of  fenestration,  to  enliven  walls  with 
local  colour  and  sculptured  ornament,  to  reverse  accepted  rules  of  pro- 
portion, to  set  at  defiance  those  prosy  principles  of  art  whose  last-born 
offspring  had  been  respectable  insipidity.  Freedom  from  precedent, 
freedom  from  national  traditions,  freedom  from  structural  and  decorative 
conventionality,  these  were  the  watchwords  of  our  youngest  and  most 
enthusiastic  reformers.  They  had  their  liberty,  and  like  all  liberty  thus 
suddenly  and  lawlessly  attained  it  was  wofully  misused.  The  absurd 
and  barbarous  specimens  of  modern  architecture  which  have  been  erected 
in  this  generation  under  the  general  name  of  Gothic  have  done  more  to 
damage  the  cause  of  the  Revival  than  all  that  has  been  said  or  written 
in  disparagement  of  the  style. 

As  a  matter  of  course  educated  designers  recoiled  from  this  condition 


358  Mr.   E.  W.  Godwins  Works. 

of  things,  and  from  that  time  down  to  the  present  the  best  and  most 
scholarlike  work  has  been  also  the  most  simple  and  unobtrusive  in  its 
character. 

It  is  probable  that  Mr.  Ruskin's  plea  for  Italian  Gothic  would  have 
had  a  more  lasting  and  more  favourable  influence  on  our  architecture 
but  for  the  hasty  response  with  which  it  met  and  the  manner  in  which 
it  was  misinterpreted.  Real  artists  shrank  from  the  adaptation  of 
structural  features  and  the  ornamental  detail  which  had  been  copied 
ad  nauseam  and  had  been  vulgarised  in  the  copying.  A  single  instance 
may  suffice,  by  way  of  illustration.  Among  those  modern  architects 
whose  work  has  always  aimed  at  a  refined  and  elevated  standard 
is  Mr.  E.  W.  Godwin.  The  Town  Hall  at  Northampton,  begun  in 
1 86 1,  is  an  excellent  example  of  his  early  taste.  Its  plan  is  at  once 
simple  and  ingenious.  The  conditions  of  its  site  admit  of  only  one 
facade,  but  that  is  treated  with  becoming  dignity.  Now,  it  is  im- 
possible to  examine  this  front  without  feeling  that  at  this  period  the 
designer  was  strongly  influenced  by  the  then  prevalent  taste  for  Italian 
Gothic  and  by  the  principles  of  design  which  Mr.  Ruskin  had  lately 
advocated.  The  fenestration  of  the  principal  story,  the  sculptured  and 
star-pierced  tympana  of  the  windows  below,  the  character  of  the 
balconies,  inlaid  work,  and  angle  shafts  of  the  tower — all  suggest  an 
Italian  origin. 

A  few  years  later  the  same  architect  was  employed  to  erect  the  Town 
Hall  at  Congleton,  and  a  marked  difference  is  at  once  observable  in 
the  character  of  his  work.  Venetian  angle  shafts  and  Italian  tracery 
have  become  common  property,  and  Mr.  Godwin  disdains  to  adopt 
them.  The  general  outline  of  the  central  tower  and  the  open  arcade 
on  the  street  level  still  indicate  a  lingering  affection  for  southern  art ; 
but  a  French  element  predominates  in  the  design,  which  is  simpler  and 
more  ascetic  in  its  character.  This  tendency  to  shun  the  minutiae  of 
decorative  detail,  to  aim  at  effect  by  sturdy  masses  of  unbroken  wall 
space,  and  by  artistic  proportion  of  parts,  is  perhaps  the  main  secret  of 


Three  Schools  of  Modern  Gothic.  359 

Mr.  Godwin's  artistic  power,  and  has  been  exemplified  to  the  full  in 
his  design  for  Dromore  Castle — lately  built  for  the  Earl  of  Limerick 
— one  of  the  most  picturesque  and  interesting  examples  of  domestic 
architecture  which  has  yet  graced  the  Revival. 

Definitions  are  difficult  and  dangerous  things  to  employ  in  recording 
the  progress  of  modern  art,  but  if,  by  way  of  classifying  the  works  of 
modern  Gothic  architects,  it  were  possible  to  arrange  them  for  con- 
venience of  description  in  three  general  divisions  or  schools,  such  a 
classification  might  not  inappropriately  take  the  following  form.  We 
should  have  : 

First.  The  Traditional  or  Correct  School,  which  aims  as  far  as  pos- 
sible at  a  literal  reproduction  of  art  in  the  Middle  Ages  :  admitting 
no  compromise,  abhorrent  of  eclecticism,  selecting  one  style  for  absolute 
imitation,  excluding  on  the  score  of  taste  nothing  for  which  there  is 
authentic  precedent,  inclining  to  primitive  types,  tolerant  of  obsolete 
contrivances,  and  sternly  sacrificing  all  notions  of  modern  comfort 
which  interfere  with  the  conditions  of  ancient  design. 

Second.  The  Adaptational  or  Artistic  School,  which  holds  Mediaeval 
art  in  high  respect,  but  considers  that  it  may  be  modified  to  suit  the 
requirements  of  the  present  age  :  testing  the  character  of  every  feature 
and  the  motive  of  every  composition  by  abstract  and  aesthetic  principles, 
rejecting  even  traditional  forms  which  will  not  bear  that  test,  and, 
while  preserving  the  main  unities  of  style,  tolerant  of  occasional  license 
in  regard  to  the  use  of  details. 

Third.  The  Independent  or  Eclectic  School,  which  is  regardless  of 
authority,  of  local  peculiarities,  of  dates  and  proprieties  of  design,  so 
long  as  it  satisfies  individual  taste  :  not  hesitating  to  unite  in  one 
building  the  distinctive  characteristics  of  English  and  foreign  Gothic, 
and  using  Mediaeval  architecture  as  a  mere  mask  to  modern  work,  fond 
of  variety  and  despising  antiquarian  considerations,  inclined  to  start- 
ling proportions,  and  not  unfrequently  to  extravagance  in  decorative 
features. 


360  The  University  College  of  IVales. 


Between  these  three  groups  of  designers  there  are,  of  course,  inter- 
mediate ranks,  occupied  by  men  who  are  pledged  to  no  fixed  principles 
of  taste,  and  who  have  passed  from  one  extreme  to  the  other  as  the 
circumstances  of  their  practice  or  the  fleeting  fashions  of  the  day  have 
guided  them.  There  are  indeed  but  few  Medievalists  of  whom  it 
may  be  said  that  they  have  from  first  to  last  pursued  one  aim  unaffected 
by  the  strange  and  conflicting  influences  which  have  been  brought  to 
bear  on  the  Revival. 

Among  the  most  notable  examples  of  secular  Gothic  which  have  been 
raised  within  the  last  ten  years,  the  University   College  of  Wales  at 
Aberystwith  may  be  mentioned.     It  was  begun  in   1864  by  Mr.  J.  P. 
Seddon,  an  architect  who  was  conspicuous  at  the  outset  of  his  career 
as  a  zealous  supporter  of  Mr.  Ruskin's  views,  and  who,  with  certain 
modifications  suggested  by  experience,  has  apparently  adhered  to  the 
principle  that  a  free  and  unfettered  adaptation  of  Mediaeval  forms  to 
the  practical  requirements  of  the  day  is  preferable  to  that  severer  and 
more  archaic  type  of  design  which  is  adopted  by  some  of  his  contem- 
poraries. This  building,  originally  designed  for  a  large  hotel,  was  erected 
under  circumstances  which  must  have  considerably  taxed  the  designer's 
ingenuity  and  patience.     It  was  the  result  cf  a  sudden  and  imperfectly- 
matured    scheme— required  to  be  executed  without  an  hour's  delay; 
and  leaving  little  or   no  time  for  that  forethought  which  every  archi- 
tect   needs    for   his    designs.     So  hurried  was  the    work  in    its  com- 
mencement that  its  foundations  were  actually  being  excavated  from  a 
sketch  plan  before   the  working  drawings  had   been   prepared.     The 
walls   arose  as   if  by  magic  :  alterations   were  proposed   and  executed 
while  the  structure  was  in  progress.   Here  another  story  was  added  :  there 
a  new  wing  was  thrown  out.     Five  hundred  men  were  to  be  kept  em- 
ployed, and  the  architect  had  to  c  rough  out '  his  ideas  as  best  he  could 
on  paper  or  by   means  of  models.     It  would  be  absurd  to  expect  a 
building  designed  and  erected  under  these  conditions  to  bear  evidence 
of  careful  study,  but  it  is  an   ill    wind  that   blows   no  good   even   to 


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Balliol  College,  Oxford.  361 

architectural  design.  The  composition  is  exceedingly  bold  and  uncon- 
ventional— qualities  which  may  to  some  extent  have  resulted  from  the 
necessarily  swift  conception  of  the  project,  and  from  the  piecemeal 
character  of  its  execution.  It  would  be  difficult  to  identify  the  building 
generally  with  any  definite  period  or  local  character  of  ancient  art. 
The  nature  of  its  fenestration — an  important  element  in  the  design — 
may  be  called  Italian.  But  in  the  main  outline  its  lofty  tower,  its  roofs, 
dormers,  and  other  details,  as  well  as  in  the  type  of  mouldings  employed, 
the  influence  of  French  example  is  apparent,  while  the  south  wing,  with 
its  timber  framed  upper  story,  might  pass  for  old  English  work.  In 
spite  of  these  apparently  conflicting  elements,  the  whole  design  is  well 
and  harmoniously  knit  together,  and  if  completed  in  accordance  with 
Mr.  Seddon's  intention  will  form  a  very  effective  group.* 
.  The  year  1867  found  many  architects  engaged  on  buildings  which 
either  from  their  site,  their  size,  or  their  character,  represent  interesting 
points  in  the  history  of  the  Revival.  The  new  buildings  for  Balliol 
College,  Oxford,  for  example,  show  that  Mr.  Waterhouse  kept  up 
with  the  stream  of  advancing  taste  without  losing  that  individuality  of 
design  which  every  true  art;st  wishes  to  retain.  A  marked  improve- 
ment is  observable  in  the  breadth  and  vigour  with  which  this  work  is 
treated  as  compared  with  earlier  examples  of  his  skill.  It  contrasts 
strangely,  indeed,  with  the  old  buildings  by  which  it  is  surrounded,  but 
as  a  matter  of  sentiment  it  may  be  questioned  whether  such  a  contrast  is 
not  an  advantage  when  it  is  explained  by  a  difference  of  style  as  well  as 
of  date,  while  as  a  matter  of  taste  posterity  alone  will  fairly  judge 
between  Oxford  of  the  fifteenth  and  Oxford  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Is  a  high  pitched  roof  more  picturesque  than  one  raised  at  an  obtuse 
angle  ?     Is  an  equilateral  arch  better  than  a  four  centred  flat  one  ?     Is 

*  In  consequence  of  circumstances  on  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  enter  here,  this 
building,  in  an  unfinished  state,  passed  out  of  the  hands  of  its  original  proprietor  and 
became  the  property  of  a  committee,  to  whom  the  management  of  the  proposed  university 
is  entiusted. 


^62  '  Humewood'  Co.  IVicklow.  Ireland. 

such  a  lintel  as  Mr.  Waterhouse  has  used  for  his  windows — we  need  not 
say  the  comeliest  which  might  have  been  devised,  but — more  comely 
than  the  ordinary  type  of  Tudor  window-head  ?  Does  the  building 
altogether  present  a  richer  variety  of  features,  a  greater  refinement  of 
mouldings,  and  on  the  whole  more  indication  of  artistic  study  than 
if  it  had  been  a  mere  imitation  of  Brasenose  or  All  Souls  ?  If  these 
questions  can  be  answered  in  the  affirmative — and  he  must  be  a  bold 
critic  who  would  answer  them  otherwise — we  may  safely  leave  the 
rest  to  the  hand  of  time,  whose  artistic  touch  has  exercised,  perhaps, 
a  more  potent  influence  than  we  suppose  on  the  opinion  of  modern 
amateurs. 

Mr.  White's  name  has  hitherto  been  mentioned  only  in  connection 
with  church  architecture,  and  it  is  with  this  department  of  design  that 
it  has  become  most  generally  associated.  But  he  has  also  been  en- 
gaged in  the  design  and  erection  of  many  Gothic  buildings  of  a 
domestic  character,  among  which  that  of  f  Humewood  '  in  Ireland  is  one 
of  the  most  notable.  It  was  begun  in  1867  for  Mr.  W.  Fitzwilliam 
Dick,  M.P.  for  Wicklow,  and  represents  for  special  reasons  a  combina 
tion  of  Scotch  and  Irish  characteristics  in  its  design.  It  is  built  of 
granite,  a  material  obviously  involving  a  plain  massive  treatment,  in 
which  the  lintel  must  supersede  the  arch,  and  delicate  mouldings  become 
impossible.  To  compensate  for  this  deficiency  in  refinement  of  detail, 
the  mansion  has  been  most  picturesquely  grouped  with  projecting  bays, 
angle  turrets,  stepped  gables,  and  high  pitched  roofs,  rising  above  which 
a  square  tower,  surmounted  by  a  battlemented  parapet,  gives  great 
dignity  to  the  composition.  Though  much  given  to  antiquarian  re- 
search, and  especially  orthodox  in  the  internal  arrangement  of  his 
churches,  Mr.  White  has  not  allowed  his  acquaintance  with  Mediaeval 
architecture  to  affect  the  character  of  his  plan,  which  is  studied 
with  great  attention  to  modern  convenience  and  requirements,  nor 
has  less  care  been  bestowed  on  the  details  and  fittings  whether  of 
a    constructional    or    ornamental    character.      They    exhibit,   in    many 


77/e  Works  of  Mr.  y antes  Brooks.  363 

features  of  the  house,  evidence  of  that  artistic  design  by  which  alone 
we  can  hope  to  revive  in  these  degenerate  days  the  true  spirit  of 
ancient  handiwork. 

There  are  perhaps  few  professions,  and  certainly  none  within  the 
realm  of  art,  exposed  to  such  unequal  chances  of  that  notoriety  which 
should  attend  success  as  the  profession  of  architecture.  The  works  of 
painters  and  sculptors,  whose  taste,  whose  aim,  and  choice  of  subject 
lie  widely  apart,  meet  in  an  exhibition-room  on  common  ground,  and 
appealing  though  they  may  to  totally  opposite  classes  of  admirers,  will 
each  in  turn  command  such  attention  as  they  deserve. 

Not  so  with  the  works  of  architects.  One  man's  practice  may  take 
him  for  years  of  his  life  into  remote  rural  parishes,  where,  except  by  the 
squire  or  parson,  his  work  may  long  remain  unappreciated,  while  his 
luckier  rival  with  far  less  ability  may  be  called  on  to  design  a  public 
institution  in  some  populous  town,  which  speedily  attracts  attention  and 
helps  him  on  the  road  to  fame.  There  are  districts  and  suburbs  in 
London  in  which  if  a  new  building  is  raised  it  stands  no  more  chance 
of  being  visited  by  people  of  taste  than  if  it  had  been  erected  in 
Kamschatka.  What  amateur  or  dilettante  would  ever  think  of  exploring 
such  neighbourhoods  as  Shoreditch,  Hoxton,  and  Plaistow  in  search  of 
architectural  beauty  ?  Yet  those  outlying  regions  in  the  far  east  of 
London  contain  some  of  the  largest  and  most  remarkable  churches 
which  have  been  built  during  the  Revival.  Mr.  James  Brooks,  by 
whom  they  were  designed,  had  no  easy  task  before  him.  It  was  required 
to  make  these  structures  the  head  quarters  of  mission  work  in  poor  and 
populous  localities.  There  was  but  little  money  to  spend  on  them, 
yet  they  were  to  be  of  ample  size  and,  for  obvious  reasons,  dignified 
and  impressive  in  their  general  effect.  These  conditions  are  admirably 
fulfilled.  One  of  the  favourite  axioms  enunciated  by  Mr.  Ruskin  is 
(or  was)  that  there  could  be  no  artistic  quality  in  architecture  which 
was  not  sculpturesque.  If  this  element  were  wanting,  all  the  rest,  he 
argued,  went  for  nought. 


364  Sf.  Chad's  Church,  Haggerston. 


T  The  fallacy  of  this  theory  could  not  be  better  exemplified  in  modern 
design  than  by  a  critical  examination  of  these  churches.  There  is 
scarcely  one  of  them  in  which  decorative  carving  is  a  conspicuous  feature, 
and  it  so  happens  that  where  it  is  intended  to  be  introduced  as  a  mere 
accessory  the  work  has  in  several  instances  been  left  unfinished. 

The  buildings  may  be  said  therefore  to  depend  for  their  effect  entirely 
on  their  plans  and  proportions,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  effect 
in  each  case  is  extremely  fine.  There  is  much  in  the  character  of  Mr. 
Brooks's  work  which  reminds  one  of  Butterfield.  An  utter  absence  of 
conventionality  in  the  treatment  of  features  whose  appearance  has  of  late 
years  become  stereotyped,  a  studied  simplicity  of  details  which  are  else- 
where elaborate,  a  tendency  to  quaint  outlines  and  unusual  subdivision 
of  parts — such  are  the  chief  characteristics  which  distinguish  the  design 
of  both  these  architects,  who  manage  to  attain  originality  without  conde- 
scending to  extravagance,  and  to  secure  for  their  works  a  quiet  grace  in 
which  there  is  less  of  elegance  than  of  dignity. 

St.  Chad's,  Haggerston,  one  of  the  group  above  mentioned,  is  a 
lofty  church  faced  internally  with  brick,  and  having  a  round  open  chan- 
cel groined  with  the  same  material.  The  nave  piers  are  of  stone,  circular 
in  plan  and  short  in  proportion  to  the  arches  which  they  carry.  These 
arches  are  obtusely  pointed,  and  very  simple  in  their  mouldings.  The 
aisles,  which  are  low  and  narrow,  could  not  be  provided  with  windows 
on  account  of  the  adjacent  buildings,  but  four  large  windows  admit 
ample  light  from  the  clerestory  on  each  side  of  the  church.  The  nave 
roof  is  ceiled  and  polygonal,  supported  at  intervals  by  semicircular  ribs, 
the  prolongation  of  which,  at  a  tangent  drawn  towards  the  clerestory 
walls,  gives  them  a  peculiar  and  not  very  satisfactory  appearance.  A 
narrow  board  pierced  with  quatrefoils  does  duty  as  a  cornice.  The 
chancel  is  provided  with  a  stone  reredos  detached  from  the  wall  and 
enriched  with  diapered  carving,  as  well  as  with  an  inlay  of  tiles  and 
marble  excellent  in  taste  and  workmanship.  South  of  the  chancel  is  a 
chapel  intended  for  daily  service,  and  groined,  like  the  chancel,  in  brick 


*£HiTr.eccosc. 


Church  of  St.  Chad,  Haggcvston. 

James  Brooks,   Architect,  1 867. 


Church  of  St.  Columba,  Kingsland  Road.        365 


with  stone  ribs.  Externally  the  western  narthex  is  a  striking  feature, 
and  the  bold  fenestration  of  the  north  transept  tells  to  advantage;  but 
the  real  excellence  of  this  work  consists  in  its  grand  masses  of  roof  and 
wall  planned  and  proportioned  with  true  artistic  ability. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  Mr.  Brooks's  other  Haggerston  church, 
St.  Columba,  which,  seen  from  the  Kingsland  Road,  at  its  north-west 
corner,  presents  an  exceedingly  picturesque  composition,  even  though 
the  tower  is  still  left  incomplete.  In  this  building  the  floor  of  the  chan- 
cel is  considerably  higher  than  the  floor  of  the  nave,  and  is  crossed  by 
steps  raised  at  broad  intervals,  and  leading  up  to  the  altar.  The  effect 
of  this  arrangement  lends  great  dignity  and  interest  to  the  interior. 
Here  the  nave  piers  are  of  the  <  compound  '  type,  the  aisles  are  spanned 
by  brick  arches,  the  crux  is  groined  for  a  central  tower,  the  chancel  has 
a  square  end,  and  the  nave  roof  is  open  timbered.  In  other  respects 
the  general  f  motive '  of  the  interior  is  not  unlike  that  of  St.  Chad's, 
though  the  details  are  perhaps  of  a  more  decorative  character. 

The  Plaistow  church  (St.  Andrew's),  which  is  built  of  Kentish  rag, 
with  freestone  dressings,  has  an  arcaded  clerestory,  lancet  windows  being 
introduced  in  the  alternate  arches.  The  roof  is  of  a  very  simple  c  king- 
post'  type,  the  intermediate  rafters  being  strengthened  by  semicir- 
cular ribs. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Revival  the  king-post  and  tie-beam  were 
rarely  used — probably  from  some  erroneous  impression  that  they  were 
not  legitimately  Gothic  features.  It  is  curious  to  note  how  in  this  and 
some  other  details  the  artistic  conditions  of  Mediaeval  design  have  been 
widened  and  modified  within  the  last  few  years.  For  example,  it  was 
formerly  de  rigueur  that  the  glazing  of  a  pointed  window  should  consist 
of  lozenge-shaped  c  quarries,'  or  in  other  words  that  the  lines  of  lead- 
work  should  cross  each  diagonally  at  an  acute  angle.  In  the  churches 
just  described,  and  in  many  others  of  recent  date,  the  quarries  are  nearly 
square,  and  are  separated  from  the  window  jambs  by  narrow  borders  of 
lead- work,  arranged  in  rectangular  patterns.      It  is  difficult  to  say  how 


366         Church  of  the  Annunciation,  Chislehurst. 

far  such  changes  as  these  recommend  themselves  by  their  novelty,  but  at 
present  they  certainly  seem  to  infuse  a  new  spirit  into  features  which 
have  long  appeared  monotonous.  The  attention  which  Mr.  Brooks 
bestows  on  the  constructive  character  of  his  work  is  very  remarkable. 
Nothing  is  more  uninteresting  than  the  cold  neat  look  of  recently 
executed  masonry.  This  is  in  a  great  measure  owing  to  the  uniform 
finish  and  flushing  of  the  joints,  which  admit  of  no  play  of  light  upon 
the  outer  edges  of  each  course.  In  St.  Andrew's  Church  the  joints  were 
raked  out  before  the  mortar  had  set,  and  the  result,  so  far  as  appearances 
and  effect  are  concerned,  is  most  satisfactory.* 

The  Church  of  the  Annunciation  at  Chislehurst  exhibits  all  the 
qualities  of  good  proportion  and  repose  in  its  design  which  distinguish 
most  of  this  architect's  works,  coupled,  except  in  one  instance,  viz.  the 
notching  of  the  wall  plates,  with  greater  refinement  and  beauty  of  detail. 
Its  fenestration  is,  however,  marked  by  great  peculiarities.  The  west 
window  consists  of  a  number  of  round  lights  associated  in  triple  groups 
and  enclosed  by  a  circle.  This  arrangement,  owing  to  the  judicious  dis- 
tribution of  external  mouldings,  looks  well  from  outside,  but  is  scarcely 
so  well  adapted  for  internal  effect.  The  design  of  the  western  doorway 
is  very  quaint  and  original.  It  has  no  real  porch,  but  the  masonry  by 
which  it  is  enclosed  projects  slightly  from  the  wall  behind,  and  is  carried 
up  in  the  form  of  a  gable  on  the  arch  mouldings.  Two  other 
features  in  this  church  may  be  mentioned,  if  only  to  indicate  the  advance 
which  we  have  made  in  what  may  be  called  the  common-sense  treatment 
of  Gothic. 

There  is  a  flying  buttress  on  the  south  side  of  the  chancel,  where  it 
is  required  to  resist  the  thrust  of  the  chancel  roof.  But  the  plan  of 
the  church  renders  this  unnecessary  on  the  north  side,  where  the  walls  of 
the  sacristy  afford  sufficient  abutment. 

There  is  also  a  chimney  shaft  rising  from  the  chancel  wall,  which, 

*  This  method  could  not  be  universally  adopted  without  incurring  practical  objections 
on  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  enter  here. 


^ 


■^         30 

^         00 


^s 


^     ^ 

V 


o 


French  and  English   Types.  367 


though  by  no  means  an  unpicturesque  object,  is  unmistakably  designed 
to  carry  off  smoke  and  nothing  else.  Now,  if  this  church  had  been 
planned  in  the  early  days  of  the  Revival,  the  architect's  aim  would  have 
been  to  secure  uniformity,  and  what  was  then  considered  elegance,  at  a 
sacrifice  of  more  practical  considerations.  We  should  have  had  two 
sacristies  or  two  flying  buttresses,  one  on  each  side  of  the  chancel,  and 
the  chimney  shaft  would  have  been  converted  into  a  decorative  feature  of 
some  kind  terminating  perhaps  in  an  open  turret  or  pierced  pinnacle — 
some  wretched  compromise  between  use  and  ornament,  but  really  serving 
neither  one  purpose  nor  the  other.  Let  us  be  thankful  that  we  have 
arrived  at  an  age  when  architectural  taste  seeks  higher  objects  than  to 
make  two  sides  of  a  church  precisely  alike,  and  when  no  part  of  a 
building  which  serves  its  purpose  honestly  is  considered  undignified. 

There  seems  to  be  no  reason  for  supposing  that  the  present  struggle 
for  pre-eminence  between  French  and  English  types  of  Gothic  in  this 
country  will  terminate  for  some  time  to  come ;  and  indeed  so  long  as 
both  schools  of  art  find  able  representatives  among  our  architects,  they 
might  be  maintained  side  by  side  with  mutual  advantage — the  English 
supplying  a  standard  of  sobriety,  repose,  and  refinement,  while  the 
French  might  serve  as  a  model  of  strength,  boldness,  and  breadth  in 
design.  As  years  roll  on  a  style  may  arise  which  shall  represent  a  fusion 
of  these  distinct  qualities,  with  additional  characteristics  marking  the 
epoch  of  their  union,  and  affording  more  scope  for  originality  and  in- 
ventive power  than  has  yet  been  possible. 

Meanwhile  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  proportion  as  the  taste  for 
Continental  Gothic  gains  influence  in  one  direction,  a  steady  reaction 
propitious  to  home  traditions  of  style  is  spreading  in  another.  Count- 
less examples  of  this  influence  and  this  reaction  might  be  quoted  ; 
but  two  will  perhaps  suffice,  each  being  the  work  of  a  veil-known 
architect  and  recently  completed,  to  illustrate  these  opposite  extremes 
of  contemporary  taste. 

In  the  suburbs  of  London  no  church  has  of  late  deserved  or  won  more 


368  Sf.  Stephens  Chuvch,  Hampstcad. 

notice  than  that  of  St.  Stephen,  erected  at  Hampstead  by  Mr.  S.  S. 
Teulon.  Its  picturesque  site,  on  a  slope  rapidly  inclining  from  west  to 
east,  the  novelty  of  its  proportions,  and  the  beauty  of  the  materials  used 
in  its  construction,  present  in  themselves  no  small  attractions,  even  to 
the  ordinary  observer,  but  for  architects  and  amateurs  it  has  a  deeper 
interest  in  the  strongly-marked  assimilation  of  an  early  French  character 
which  its  design  reveals.  The  walls  are  mainly  built  of  fine  hard  brick 
ranging  in  colour  from  pale  gray  to  Indian  red,  the  admixture  of  which 
tints  gives  them  at  a  little  distance  a  rich  stippled  texture  which  is  very 
agreeable.  Stone  and  granite  are  also  largely  employed  for  the  quoins 
and  dressings.  The  illustration  which  is  appended  to  this  chapter 
renders  a  description  of  the  exterior  unnecessary  ;  but  it  may  be  well  to 
explain  that  the  central  tower  has  yet  to  be  finished,  and  that  the  west 
end  is  provided  with  a  wide  porch  or  narthex,  which  forms  a  picturesque 
feature  in  the  composition. 

The  interior  is  sumptuously  decorated,  especially  at  the  east  end, 
where  the  apse  is  groined,  and  its  walls  are  inlaid  with  gilt  mosaic  work. 
The  chancel  arch  is  corbelled  out  on  panelled  blocks  enriched  with 
sculpture  in  high  relief,  illustrating  the  life  and  death  of  St.  Stephen. 
The  pillars  of  the  nave  arcade  are  cylindrical,  supported  on  high  plinths, 
and  crowned  with  boldly  carved  capitals  varying  in  design.  The 
arches  are  admirably  proportioned  to  the  height  and  plan  of  the  church, 
and  though  fastidious  critics  may  object  to  the  notched  and  billet- 
moulded  edges  of  the  brickwork  introduced,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  this  mode  of  decoration  has  been  approved  and  adopted  by  some  of 
the  leading  architects  of  the  Gothic  school.  The  open-timbered  roof 
over  the  nave  is  an  excellent  example  of  constructive  skill,  and  we  need 
only  compare  it  with  the  poor  lean-looking  specimens  of  frame-work 
which  shelter  some  of  the  early  churches  of  the  Revival,  to  feel  that  in 
the  design  of  those  features  whose  effect  depends  on  a  judicious  com- 
bination of  art  and  science  we  have  left  the  last  generation  far  behind. 

To  select  this  building  as  an  example  of  the  extent  to  which  modern 


Church  of  S.  Stephen,  Hampstead. 

S.  S.   Tiidon,  Arc lulcct,  i860. 


Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  Liverpool.      369 

Gothic  has  been,  or  may  be,  affected  in  this  country  by  Continental 
study  would  be  unfair  both  to  the  designer  and  to  some  of  his  con- 
temporaries. In  many  respects  it  retains  a  national  character,  while 
certain  details — as,  for  instance,  the  ornamental  brickwork  of  its  in- 
terior— can  scarcely  be  referred  to  any  precedent  but  that  of  modern 
fashion.  At  the  same  time  it  represents  a  sufficiently  wide  departure 
from  English  tradition  to  be  fairly  contrasted  with  works  in  which 
respect  for  that  tradition  is  conspicuous. 

The  church  of  St.  John,  in  Tue  Brook,  a  suburb  of  Liverpool,  is  an 
admirable  model  of  the  latter  class,  recently  completed  from  the  design 
of  Mr.  G.  F.  Bodley,  whose  earlier  work,  St.  Michael's,  at  Brighton, 
was  one  of  the  first  to  attract  attention  by  its  quaint  and  original  cha- 
racter, but  who  in  this  instance  has  returned  to  that  type  of  Middle 
Pointed  art  which  reached  its  highest  grace  towards  the  middle  of  the 
fourteenth  century. 

Carefully  and  ably  as  the  leading  elements  of  that  style  have  been 
revived  by  the  architect,  accurate  and  refined  as  the  treatment  of  form 
throughout  the  church  assuredly  is,  whether  we  examine  the  outline  and 
proportions  of  its  tower  and  spire,  the  fashion  of  its  window  tracery  or 
the  profile  of  its  mouldings,  it  is  probable  that  these  merits  would  have 
received  respectful  rather  than  enthusiastic  admiration,  but  for  one 
additional  element  of  beauty  which  pervades  the  whole  buildino-  from 
its  primary  construction  to  the  last  touch  of  its  embellishment.  This 
element  is  the  charm  of  colour. 

The  walls  are  built  of  red  and  white  sandstone — not  arranged  in 
formally  alternate  courses,  nor  yet  with  studied  irregularity,  but  inter- 
mixed in  such  a  manner  as  to  relieve  the  eye  by  variety  without 
fatiguing  it  by  repetition.  For  this  happily  unconscious  treatment  of  the 
material,  Nature  herself  offers  the  best  authority,  seeing  that  the  red 
sandstone  is  streaked  with  veins  of  white  and  the  white  with  veins  of 
red.  Not  all  the  scientific  treatises  on  polychromy  could  have  supplied 
a  better  scheme. 

B   B 


370       Internal  Decoration  of  St.  John's  Church. 


Internally,  for  reasons  which  will  presently  appear,  this  variety 
of  natural  tint  is  avoided,  and  where  the  stone  is  visible  its  prevailing 
hue  is  light  Indian  red.  The  seats  and  wood  fittings  throughout  the 
church  are  stained  black.  This  simple  chord  of  colour  forms  a  fitting 
prelude  to  the  interesting  harmonies  which  follow.  Almost  the  whole 
of  the  interior  is  given  up  to  pictorial  decoration.  The  chancel  screen, 
of  a  type  well  known  in  Yorkshire,  is  groined  out  with  delicate  ribs  of 
wood  to  support  the  rood  loft  above,  which  is  divided  into  panels 
enriched  with  figure  subjects  and  foliage  admirably  designed  and  exe- 
cuted. The  clerestory  is  occupied  between  the  windows  by  mural 
paintings  (executed  in  tempera)  of  the  twelve  Apostles,  the  four  Evan- 
gelists, &c.  A  more  conventional  but  still  chromatic  treatment  is 
reserved  for  the  aisle  walls  and  roof,  both  of  which  are,  with  sound 
judgment,  kept  in  a  light  key  of  colour. 

But  it  is  on  the  space  usually  occupied  by  the  west  window  and  on 
the  wall  above  the  chancel  arch  that  the  artist,  Mr.  C.  E.  Kempe,  has 
reserved  his  greatest  care.  On  the  former  appears  a  large  and  grandly 
treated  painting  of  the  Tree  of  Jesse  in  which  the  figures  introduced 
are  nearly  life  size. 

In  composition,  in  delineative  power,  in  judicious  choice  and  associa- 
tion of  colour,  as  well  as  in  attention  to  the  proprieties  of  costume  and 
other  details,  this  work  is  worthy  of  all  praise,  but  it  is  rivalled,  if  not 
surpassed,  in  excellence  by  that  which  is  executed  on  the  •chancel  wall. 
Among  the  sacred  allegories  which  have  found  expression  in  Christian 
art  there  is  none  more  significant  or  beautiful  than  that  of  the  Tree  of 
Life  as  symbolised  by  the  Crucifixion.  Mr.  Kempe  has  approached 
this  subject  in  a  manner  befitting  its  dignity  and  pathos,  neither  aiming 
at  unnecessary  archaism  nor  adopting  a  mere  pictorial  and  naturalistic 
treatment.  The  design  is,  in  the  highest  aesthetic  sense  of  the  word, 
conventional,  but  it  belongs  to  that  order  of  conventionalism  in  which 
the  element  of  beauty  predominates.  The  Tree  of  Life  is  of  course  the 
Cross,  at  the  foot  of  which  stand  the  Virgin  Mary  and  St.  John  with 


Future  Prospects  of  the  Revival.  371 


angels  on  either  side  bearing  gold  censers.  These  last  figures  are 
draped  in  robes  of  white  and  salmon  colour,  which,  relieved  on  a  back- 
ground of  dark  olive-green  foliage,  produce  a  most  lovely  combina- 
tion of  tints.  Above,  the  Tree  blossoms  into  fruit  representing  the 
Virtues,  and  the  allegory  is  rendered  complete  by  medallion  portraits 
of  the  Prophets,  and  the  sacred  emblem  of  the  pelican,  introduced  as 
decorative  adjuncts. 

In  this  truly  admirable  work  the  genuine  grace  of  Medieval  art 
seems  at  length  to  have  been  reached.  In  the  architecture  which  it 
decorates  no  appreciable  inferiority,  whether  of  design  or  execution,  to 
the  type  selected  for  imitation,  can  be  discerned.  Our  too  sophisticated 
age  may  want  the  rich  instincts  of  inventive  genius,  which  in  days  of 
yore  made  our  streets  interesting,  our  houses  loveable  and  our  churches 
sublime.  It  may  want  the  simplicity  of  popular  faith,  nay,  the  very 
social  conditions  which  would  render  a  return  to  Mediaeval  principles 
universally  acceptable.  But  at  least  we  have  learnt,  or  there  are  those 
among  us  who  have  learnt,  in  what  those  principles  consist. 

That  is  something  to  have  attained.  A  more  difficult  problem,  how- 
ever, still  remains  to  be  solved.  Is  this  quaint  old-world  fashion  of 
structural  design  which  for  thirty  years  past  has  engaged  the  attention 
and  bewitched  the  fancy  of  so  many  practical  men — members  of  a  pro- 
fession which  is  now  no  less  a  business  than  an  art — is  this  long-lost 
tradition  of  the  Middle  Ages  destined,  as  time  rolls  on,  to  reach  and 
influence  the  taste,  not  only  of  our  architects  and  amateurs,  but  of 
everyone  who  builds  a  house  or  owns  a  shop  throughout  the  land  ?  If 
not,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  our  neo-Mediasvalism  will  share  the  fate  of 
the  Classic  Renaissance,  which  rising  to  magnificence  in  Whitehall  has 
descended  to  meanness  in  Baker  Street.  A  style  of  architecture  which 
cannot  accommodate  itself  to  the  common  requirements  of  social  life 
which  is  beyond  the  reach  of  ordinary  means,  and  which  is  reserved  for 
a  special  class  or  for  a  special  purpose,  can  have  no  genuine,  and  there- 
fore no  permanent,  existence.    On  the  other  hand,  to  drag  Gothic  down 


372  Conclusion. 


to  the  level  of  a  cockney  villa,  to  parody  its  characteristic  features  in 
plaster  and  cast  iron,  to  degrade  its  fairest  details,  as  the  details  of  Greek 
and  Roman  architecture  have  already  been  degraded  in  this  country, 
would  be  intolerable.  The  only  escape  from  this  dilemma  lies  in 
a  twofold  reform — Architects  must  learn  to  sacrifice  something  of 
their  antiquarian  tendencies  :  the  Public  must  learn  to  sacrifice  some- 
thing of  their  conventional  taste. 

By  dint  of  earnest  study  and  endless  experiments,  by  help  of  theory 
and  precept,  by  means  of  comparison  and  criticism,  the  grammar  of  an 
ancient  art  has  been  mastered.  Shall  we  ever  be  able  to  pronounce  its 
language — not  in  the  measured  accents  of  a  scholastic  exercise,  but 
fluently  and  familiarly  as  our  mother-tongue  ?  Will  a  time  ever  arrive 
when,  freed  from  the  idle  prejudices,  the  pedantry,  the  false  sentiment, 
and  the  vulgarisms  which  have  hampered  its  utterance  and  confounded 
its  phraseology,  this  noble  and  expressive  language  shall  be  used 
throughout  the  land,  retaining  here  and  there  provincial  idioms — rising 
to  eloquence  in  our  towns  and  majestic  emphasis  in  our  public  buildings, 
telling  of  rural  beauty  in  the  village  homestead,  exciting  devotion  in 
every  church,  proclaiming  comfort  in  every  home,  and  stability  in  every 
warehouse  ?  Then  and  not  till  then  shall  we  possess — if  it  be  worth 
possessing — a  really  national  architecture.  Then  and  not  till  then  will 
the  Gothic  Revival  be  complete. 


SELECTED 
EXAMPLES     OF    GOTHIC     BUILDINGS 

ERECTED     BETWEEN     1820     AND     1870. 


C   C 


374  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Bui  I  dings 


No. 


1 
2 


5 
6 

7 
8 
9 


lO 
11 


12 

13 


14 


15 


Date 


1824 
1825 

1825 


Building 


Situation 


Architect 


Style 


St.  Luke's  Church  Chelsea 

The  Hall,  Christ  London 
Church  Hospital 

Costessy  Hall        .  Norfolk 


826-28      St.  Peter's  Church      Brighton 


1826 
1827 

1828-32 
1828-38 
1829-31 


1830 

1831-33 


1831 
1832 


1832 


1832-34 


St.   Katherine's 
Hospital 

The  Scotch  Church 


Moreby  Hall 

Mamhead    . 

St.    Dunstan\s-in- 
the-West 


South  Borough 
Church 

St.  Peter's  Church 


Riverhead  Church 
St.  George's  Ch. . 


Westminster  Hos- 
pital 

St.  Peter's  Colle- 
giate Church 


London 

Regent  Square, 
London 

Near  York  . 
Near  Exeter 
Fleet  St.,  London 


J.  Savage 
J.  Shaw 

J.  C.  Buckler 


SirC.Barry,R.A. 


A.  Poynter. 
SirW.Tite,  F.R.S. 


Perpendicular 
Tudor     . 

Tudor    . 


Middle  Pointed 


Tudor     . 
Perpendicular. 


Kent  . 


Great  Yarmouth 


Near  Sevenoaks 

Woburn  Square, 
London 


Brond   Sanctuary, 
Westminster 


Stonyhurst,  Lan- 
cashire 


A.  Salvin,  F.S.A.      Tud 
A.  Salvin,  F.S.A. 
J.  Shaw 


lor 


D.  Burton 
J.  J.  Scoles 


D.  Burton   . 
L.  Vulliamy 


J.  Inwoods 
J.  J.  Scoles 


Tudor     . 
Perpendicular 


Early  English. 
Perpendicular 


Early  English. 
Perpendicular . 


Tudor 


Perpendicular 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  375 


Remarks 


1.  The  earliest  groined  church  of  the  modern  Revival.     (See  p.  141.) 

2.  Foundation  stone  laid  May  25,  1825,  by  the  Duke  of  York.     This  was  considered  a  magnifi- 

cent work  at  the  time.  Portions  of  the  old  edifice  had  fallen  into  decay,  and  it  was  found 
necessary  to  rebuild  them.     (See  p.  126.) 

3.  Erected  for  the  Earl  of  Stafford.     Built  of  red  and  white  brick,  with  stone  dressings.     The 

old  mansion  (of  Queen  Mary's  time)  still  occupies  the  site  of  the  intended  hall  and  prin- 
cipal staircase.  The  gallery  is  109  ft.  long,  with  draped  panelling  of  oak  round  the  walls  ; 
drawing-room,  43  x  26  ft.,  communicating  with  library  of  like  dimensions;  dining-room, 
50  x  30  ft.  ;  machicolated  and  embattled  tower,  132  ft.  high.  The  principal  apartments  and 
offices  are  picturesquely  arranged  round  the  fountain  court  and  belfry  court,  the  north  side 
being  bounded  by  a  river.     (See  p.  no.) 

4.  The  principal  feature  in  this  church  is  the  quasi-west  (really  south)  tower,  which  consists  of 

two  separate  structures,  one  inside  the  other,  the  space  between  being  groined  over.  The 
inner  tower  is  carried  up  two  stages  higher  than  the  outer,  with  which  it  is  connected 
by  flying  buttresses,  and  terminates  with  four  octagonal  turrets.  The  main  entrance 
porch  is  beneath  this  tower.  The  nave  has  apsidal  end,  but  there  is  no  chancel.  The 
interior  is  fitted  up  with  galleries,  and  is  groined  throughout  in  plaster.  Although  very 
unorthodox  in  plan,  the  building  exhibits  evidence  of  study  in  many  of  its  details. 

5.  One  of  the  first  public  works  with  which  the  architect's  name  was  associated.      (See  p.  128.) 

6.  A  singular  instance  of  the  adoption  of  Gothic  for  a  London  church  at  this  time.     Sii  W. 

(then  Mr.)  Tite  was  also  employed,  under  Mr.  Laing,  to  re-erect  the  church  of  St.  Dun- 
stan's-in-the-East. 

7.  Erected  for  Henry  Preston,  Esq.     Built  of  brick  faced  with  stone.     (See  p.  129.) 

a.   Mansion  erected  for  Sir  R.  W.  Newman,  Bart.     Built  of  stone.     (See  p.  130.) 

9.  The  internal  plan  of  this  church  is  octagonal,  the  sides  of  the  octagon  forming  a  series  of 
recessed  bays,  which  are  alternately  groined  and  waggon-vaulted  ;  that  on  the  north  side 
is  used  as  a  quasi-chancel.  The  clerestory  is  lighted  by  eight  windows  filled  with  stained 
glass,  above  which  rises  a  groined  dome  with  a  central  pendant.  On  the  south  side  is  a 
square  tower  crowned  by  an  octagonal  lantern.  The  main  entrance  to  the  church  is  under 
this  tower. 

10.  Built  of  local  freestone.     Nave,  63  x  40  ft.  ;  chancel,  17  x  9  ft.  ;  tower,  9  ft  square. 

11.  One  of  the   'Commissioners'   Churches.'     Cost   7,600/.     Nave,  aisles,   chancel   (with    oak 

screen),  clerestory,  and  panelled  roof  with  porch  and  lofty  square  tower,  in  five  stories,  at 
west  end.  Built  of  white  Suffolk  brick,  with  Bramley  Fall  stone  dressings.  General 
dimensions,  120  x  60  ft..  Height  of  tower,  90  ft. ;  to  top  of  spire,  107  ft.  Constructed 
to  accommodate  1,800  persons. 

12.  Erected  for  the  Trustees.     Built  of  rag-stone,  &c. 

The  plan  of  this  church  is  quasi-cruciform,  and  the   interior  is  fitted  up  with  galleries  placed 
•vts-a-vu.      The  west  front  has  five  doorways,  of  which  three  are  real  and  two  are  sham 
The  tower  occupies  a  central  position  and  is  surmounted  by  a  stone  spire.     Middle  pointed 
windows,  filled  with  late  tracery     Flat  roof  of  pseudo-Gothic  type.     Walls  of  brick,  with 
stone  dressings,  piers,  &c.     There  is  no  chancel. 

A  commonplace  design,  presenting  a  large  front  with  mullioned  windows,  central  porch,  &c. 
Gothic  (such  as  it  is)  was  probably  selected  for  this  building  on  account  of  its  proximitv 
to  the  Abbey.  r  j 


13. 


lft. 


15. 


Erected  for  the  Society  of  Jesus.  Built  of  stone.  Nave  (121x29  ft.),  aisles,  and  transepts  ; 
clerestory  windows  and  panelled  root,  with  principals  carried  on  corbels.  East  window 
hlied  with  stained  glass  by  Miller.     Described  in  the  '  Oithodox  Journal '  of  May  16,  1 8 35 


C  C  2 


376  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


16 


17 
18 

19 

20 

21 

22 
23 

24 
25 

26 

27 
28 

29 

30 
31 
32 

33 

34 

35 


Date 


1833 


^35 


'835-45 


1837 

1838 

18^8 
1838 

1838-40 
1839 

1839 

1839 
1839 


Building 


Situation 


Architect 


Style 


R.  C.  Ch.  of  Our  i  St.  John's  Wood,  \  J.  J.  Scoles  . 
Lady  London 


R.   C.   Church   of 
St.  Ignatius 

Baynard's  Park   . 


1836-38      Goring  Church   . 


Scotney  Castle 

R.  C.  Ch.  of  St. 
Marie 

Trinity  Church    . 

School    for    Indi- 
gent Blind 

R.C.Ch  ofS.Chad 

HoushS  of  Par- 
liament 

Ch.ofSt.  Matthew 

Queen's  College  . 
Parish    Church 


Preston ,  Lanca  s  h  i  re 

Near  Cranleigh, 
Surrey 


Near  Worthing    . 


Sussex 
Liverpool     . 

Eastbourne,  Sussex 

St.  George's  Fields, 
London 

Birmingham 

Westminster 

Listei    Street, 
Birmingham 

Bath   . 

Leeds,  Yorkshire 


1839-56      DorsetshireCounty    Dorchester 
Hospital 


1840         St.  Augustine 
Chapel 

1840         Magdalen  College 
Gaieway 

St.  Peter's  Church 


1840 


1 840-41 


Lean  Side  Church 


1 841         Trinity  Church    . 


1841 


Martyrs'  Memorial 


Flinwell,  Kent    . 

Oxford 

Fleetwood,  Lanca- 
shire 

Nottingham 

Nottingham 

Oxford 


J.  J.  Scoles . 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 

D.  Burton,  F.R.S. 

A.  Salvin,  F.S.A. 
A.  W.  Pugin       . 

D.  Burton   . 

J.  Newman, 
F.S.A. 

A.  W.  Pugin 

Sir  C.  Barry,  R.  A. 

Thomas 

J.  Willson  . 

R.  D.  Chantrell  . 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 

D.  Burton,  F.R.S. 

A.  W.  Pugin 

D.  Burton,  F.R.S. 

G.  G.  Scott,  R.  A. 
H.  J.  Stevens 

G.G.Scott,  R. A. 


Early    Engli>h 

Perpendicular . 
Tudor    . 

Decorated 

Tudor     . 

Decorated 

Early  EnglUh 
Tudor     . 

Middle  Pointed 
Tudor     . 

Early  Decorated 

Norman 
XIV.  century 

Manorial 
Gothic 

Early  English 

Temp.   Henry 
VI. 

Early  English 

Early  English 
Early  English 

Decorated 


16 


17. 
18. 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  377 

Remarks 

This  church  is  remarkable  for  having  been  mentioned  by  Billings  in  his  '  History  of  the 
Temple  Church,'  as  the  best  modern  work  then  designed  on  that  model.  It  is  built  of 
brick  with  stone  dressings,  and  vaulted,  but  the  groins  are  executed  in  lath  and  plaster ! 
The  nave  piers  are  formed  with  a  stone  core  in  the  centre,  and  small  cast-iron  shafts 
attached.     General  dimensions,  113  x  43  ft.  ;  height,  34  ft. 

Built  of  stone.  Cruciform  plan  with  tower  and  spire.  Clerestory  windows  and  porch  under 
tower.     General  dimensions,  96  x  48  ft.  ;  height  of  spire,  112  ft. 

Additions  to  an  old  mansion,  originally  built  for  Sir  George  More,  but  disfigured  by  modern 
alterations.  Mr.  Ferrey  added  the  clock-tower,  staircase,  music-room,  offices,  &c,  and 
restored  the  hall  to  its  original  design,  with  oak  roof,  minstrels'  gallery,  &c.  Rickman 
had  been  previously  employed,  but  died  during  the  progress  of  the  works. 

19.  Erected  for  David  Lyon,  Esq.     Walls  of  rubble-work  (stone  and  flint)  stuccoed  externally; 

roofed  with  slates;  wooden  spire  covered  with  copper.  Chancel,  35x20  ft.;  nave, 
59  x  23  ft.  ;  aisles,  46  x  14  ft. 

20.  Erected  for  Edward  Hussey,  Esq.    Built  of  stone.    This  mansion  is,  for  its  date,  a  very  credit- 

able specimen  of  revived  Tudor  Gothic.     (See  p.  1  30.) 

21.  An  excellent  example  of  a  town  church.     (See  p.  161.) 

22.  Built  of  stone  and  brick.     Nave,  60  x  40  ft.  ;  chancel,  14  x  9  ft. ;  tower,  13  ft.  square. 

23.  Built  of  white  brick,  with  Park  Spring  stone  dressings.     The  architect  of  this  building  also 

designed  the  Roman  Catholic  church  at  Finsbury  Circus. 

24.  One  of  Pugin's  most  important  works.     (See  p.  156.) 

25.  The  first  stone  of  this  great  work  laid  'without  ceremony,'  March  5,  1839.    (^ee  P-  '75-) 

26.  Open  timber  roof.     Tower  and  spire   125  ft.  high.     This  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  ten 

churches  erected  in  this  town. 

27.  Erected  on  Claverton  Down.     Estimated  cost  30,000/. 

28.  The  same  architect  designed  a  church  at  Middleton,  Yorkshire,  and  the  'Poole'  Chapel, 

near  Otley. 

29.  This  building  was  erected  by  degrees.     The  chapel,  forming  part  of  south  wing,  in  the  Second 

Pointed  style,  was  erected  at  the  expense  of  N.  Williams,  Esq.,  then  M.P.  for  Dorchester. 
Dimensions:  Centre  part,  110x30  ft.,  with  projecting  porch  and  wings,  65x28  ft.; 
chapel,  65  x  28  ft.     Very  picturesquely  situated. 

30.  Built  of  local  freestone.     Nave,  52  x  27  ft.  ;  chancel,  12  x  6  ft.  ;  tower,  9  ft.  square. 

31.  A  pure  and  graceful  example  of  the  architect's  skill. 

32.  Erected  for  Sir  H.  P.  Fleetwood,  Bart. 

33.  One  of  the  earliest  works  executed  by  the  architect.     Built  of  Coxbench  stone. 

34.  A  galleried  church,  with  nave,  aisles,  raised  chancel,  west  tower,  and  spire ;  open  timbered 

roof  of  nine  trusses  carried  on  corbels  ;  five  triple  lancet  windows  in  clerestory  ;  wheel 
window  at  east  end,  with  lancet  light  on  each  side.  Nave,  80  x  54  ft.  ;  chancel,  25  x  19 
ft;  spire,  172  ft.  high.     Cost  10,000/. 

35.  Designed  on  the  model   of  an  'Eleanor'   Cross.     Divided  in   three   stories  with   canopied 

niches,  pinnacles,  &c,  richly  carved.  Figures  executed  by  Mr.  H.  Weeks.  This 
monument  was  greatly  admired  and  attracted  much  notice  at  the  time  of  its  erection.  It 
is  generally  admitted  to  be  a  mo^t  creditable  work  tor  its  date. 


378  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

36 

1841-43 

Ch.  of  St.  Giles    . 

Camberwell, 
London 

G.  G.Scott, R.  A. 

Early  Decorated 

37 

1841-43 

Clyffe  House 

Toncleton,  near 
Dorchester 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 

Manorial 
Gothic 

38 

1841-43 

Ch.  of  St.  James 

Mansfield,  Sussex 

R.  C.  Carpenter  . 

Early  Pointed  . 

39 

1842 

Ch.  &  Monastery 
of  St.  Bernard 

Leicestershire 

A.  W.  Pugin 

Early  Pointed  . 

40 

1842 

R.  C.  Chinch       . 

Stockton-on-Tees 

A.  W.  Pugin 

Early  English  . 

41 

1843 

Lincoln's  Inn  Hall 

London 

P.    C.   Hardwick, 
F.SA. 

Tudor 

42 

1843-44 

Hildenboro'  Ch. 

Near  Tunbridge, 
Kent 

E.  Christian 

Early  English  . 

43 

1844 

R.  C.   Ch.  of  St. 
Francis  Xavier 

Liverpool     . 

J.J.  Scoles  . 

Decorated 

44 

1844 

St. John's  Hospital 

Alton,    Stafford- 
shire 

A.  W.  Pugin 

Perpendicular  . 

45 

1844 

R.  C.  Church  of 
St.  Barnabas 

Nottingham 

A.  W.  Pugin 

Early  English  . 

46 

1844-46 

Ch.of  St.  Andrew 

Wells  Street,  W. 
London 

S.  W.  Dawkes     . 

Third  Pointed  . 

47 

1844-49 

R.  C.  Ch.  of  the 
Immaculate 

Conception 

Farm  Street,  W. 
London 

J.  J.  Scoles  . 

Late  Decorated 

48 

1S45 

R    C.   Church  of 
St.  Wilfrid 

Manchester . 

A.  W.  Pugin 

Early  English  . 

49 

1845 

Butleigh  Court     . 

Near  Glastonbury 

J.  C.  Buckler 

Henry  VI. 

erected  between  1820  and  1870.  379 


Remarks 


36.  Built  of  Sneaton  stone,  with  Caen  stone  dressings.     (See  p.  221.) 

37.  Erected  for  the  late  Charles  Portlier,  Esq.     Built  of"  Portland  and  local  stones,  brick,  tiles, 

&C.  General  dimensions,  100  x  62  ft.,  the  centre  portion  and  wings  slightly  projecting 
from  the  main  front. 

38.  This    was   considered,  at    the   time,    one    of  the  most  correctly   designed   churches  of  the 

Revival.  The  plan  consisted  of  a  nave  and  chancel,  south  aisle  and  south  porch,  with  a 
small  vestry  on  the  north  side  of  the  chancel. 

39.  Erected   for  the   Roman   Catholic   Community    of   English    Cistercians.     These   buildings, 

which  are  picturesquely  situated,  consist  of  a  cloister,  church,  chapter-house,  refectory, 
dormitory,  guest-house,  prior's  lodgings,  &c.  The  design  of  the  whole  is  simple  to 
severity,  the  massive  walls  of  rubble  granite,  long  narrow  windows,  steep  roofs,  and  gables 
being  thoroughly  characteristic  of  old  monastic  architecture. 

40.  A  small  but  elegantly  proportioned  church,  of  which  the   design  is  considerably  in  advance 

of  its  date. 

41.  Built  of  red  brick  with  groins  and  dressings  of  Anston  stone;  wainscot  fittings  throughout, 

and  open  oak  roofs  over  hall  and  library.  Hall,  120  x4.5  ft.  and  62  ft.  high  ;  vestibule, 
58  x  22  ft  ;  council  chamber  and  drawing-room  each  32  x  24  ft.  ;  library,  80  x  40  ft.  and 
44  ft.  high.     (See  p.  21 1. ) 

42.  Erected  by  subscription.     Built  of  Kentish  rag  and  local  sandstone.     Fittings  of  deal. 

43.  Erected  for  the  Order  of  Jesuits.     Nave,  aisles,  and  chancel.     Iron   columns  used   for   nave 

arcade.  The  altars  and  internal  fittings  of  this  church  are  very  rich  in  sculptured  decora- 
tion, and  were  designed  at  a  later  period  by  Mr.  S.  J.  Nicholl,  a  pupil  of  Scoles.  (See 
p.  244.) 

44.  Erected,  for   the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  on  a  steep  rock   some   hundred   feet   in   height.     The 

buildings  were  planned  to  surround  three  sides  of  a  quadi angle,  but  the  design  was  net 
carried  out  in  ifs  entirety.  They  include  a  chapel,  school,  warden's  lodgings,  cloister,  &c, 
all  built  of  stone  ;  the  principal  roofs,  floors,  &c,  being  of  English  oak.  The  chapel  is 
richly  decorated  internally. 

45.  A  large  cruciform  church,  in  which  the  choir  and  high  altar  are  surrounded  by  aisles,  with  a 

Lady  chapel  beyond.  Beneath  the  choir  is  a  crypt,  of  which  the  vaulting  is  carried  on 
two  rows  of  short  columns.  The  interior  is  sumptuously  fitted  up  with  a  large  rood-loft, 
and  oak  screens  of  open  tracery  and  panelled  work  enclosing  the  chapels,  &C.  The  choir 
and  sanctuary  are  paved  with  encaustic  tiles. 

46.  Nave,  aisles,  and  chancel,  with  engaged  tower   and  spire  at  west  end  of  north  aisle.  Though 

late  in  style  and  fitted  up  with  galleries,  this  church  was  one  of  the  best  erected  in  London 
at  this  time.     It  is  carefully  designed  throughout.      (See  p.  247.) 

47.  Nave,    aisles,    and    chancel.     Richly  treated  west    front   with    angle    turrets,  and    circular 

window  in  gable  ;  lofty  arcade  and  clerestorv  ;  polveonal  panelled  roof  ;  chancel  decorated 
with  colour  and  gilding  under  direction  of  Mr.  Buhner.  Stained  glass  by  Wailes.  This 
church  was  one  of  Mr.  Scoles's  most  successful  works.  Nave,  102  x  27  ft.  ;  chancel, 
27  x  26  ft.  ;  aisles,  45  x  13  ft. 

48.  The  cost  of  this  church,  with  the  priests'  house  attached   to  it,  did  not  exceed  5,000/.     (See 

p.  160.) 

49.  Erected  for  the  Hon.  and  Very  Rev.  G.  Neville  Granville.     The  hall   is  entered  by  a  lofty 

porch.  The  elevations  are  varied  in  design,  and  embellished  with  buttresses,  turrets, 
battlements,  and  other  features  suited  to  the  style  and  to  their  positions.  Built  o*  blue 
lias  and  Doulting  -tone.     Doors  of  English  0:1k  rich  in  mouldings  and  ornament .. 


380  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

so 

1845 

Ch.  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist 

Cookham  Dean    . 

R.  C.  Carpenter  . 

Decorated        , 

51 

1845-47 

Ch.  of"  St.  Stephen 

Westminster 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 

Decorated 

52 

1845 

R.  C.  Church  of 
St.  George 

Southwark   . 

A.  W.  Pugin 

Decorated 

53 

1845-47 

Ch.  of  St. Thomas 

Douglas,  Isle  of 
Man 

E.  Christian 

Early  English  . 

54 

1845-50 

St.     Augustine's 
College 

Canterbury . 

W.  Buiterfield     . 

Early  Decorated 

55 

1846 

St.  Andrew's  Ch. 

Birmingham 

R.  C.  Carpenter  . 

Middle  Pointed 

56 

1846-47 

Ch.  of  St.  Paul     . 

Alnwick. 

A.  Salvin,  F.S.A. 

Middle  Pointed 

57 

j 846-48 

St.  Paul's  Church 

Brighton 

R.  C.  Carpenter  . 

Early  Decorated 

58 

1 846-48 

Ch.  of  All  Saints 

North  Ferriby, 
Yorkshire 

J. L.Pearson,  F.S.A. 

Early  Decorated 

59 

1846-48 

Ch.  of  St.  James  . 

Weybridge, 
Surrey 

J.  L.Pearson, F.S.A. 

Decorated 

60 

1846-49 

St.   Mary's  R.  C. 
Cathedral  Ch. 

Burnley,  Lanca- 
shire 

Hadfield  and 
Weightman 

Very  Earl) 
Decorated 

61 

1846-50 

H.   C.   Church   of 
St.  Mary 

Sheffield       . 

Hadfield  and 
Weightman 

English  Deco- 
rated 

erected  between  1820  and  1870.  381 


Remarks 


50.  A  small   but  well  studied  church.     Nave,  aisles,  chancel,  south-west  porch,  and  bell  turret. 

Built  to  hold  300  persons.     Cost,  1,300/. 

51.  One  of  the  most  complete  and  costly  churches   erected  at  this  time   in  London,  and  one  of 

Mr.  Ferrey's  most  successful  works.  It  was  founded  by  the  Baroness  (then  Miss)  Burdett 
Coutts.     (See  p.  247.) 

52.  The  most  important  work  executed  by  Pugin  in  London.     (See  p.  155) 

53.  Erected  near  the  shore.     Built  of  local  rubble  and  black  limestone.     Internal  fittings  of 

deal. 

54.  Erected  for  A.  J.  B.  Beresford-Hope,  Esq.,  and  a  Committee.     The  first  important  work 

undertaken  by  the  architect.     Built  of  Caen  stone,  flint,  and  Kentish  rag.     (See  p.  225.) 

55.  Built    of  red   sandstone.     Nave  arcade    of  five  arches ;  well-proportioned  window  of  four 

lights  at  west  end  ;  sacristy  at  south-west  of  chancel ;  parapet  of  tower  pierced  with 
trefoils  and  decorated  with  ball  flower  ornament ;  octagonal  stone  spire  and  gabled  spire 
lights.  Dimensions  :  Chancel  38  ft.  and  nave  86  ft.  North  aisle  and  engaged  tower 
at  west  end.     (See  p.  223.) 

56.  Erected  for  the  Duke  of  Northumberland.     The  plan  consists  of  a  lofty  nave,  with  aisles  and 

clerestory ;  an  aisled  chancel  ;  a  western  tower  ;  north  porch,  and  sacristy  on  south  of 
chancel ;  east  window  of  five  lights,  and  flowing  tracery.  The  mouldings  of  this  church 
are  well  studied. 

57.  A  large  church,  capable  of  holding   1,200  people.      It  consists   of  a  nave,  two  aisles  of 

unequal  size,  a  chancel,  and  north-east  tower.  The  chancel  is  of  unusually  grand 
proportions  for  the  time  at  which  it  was  built.  It  has  a  seven-light  east  window,  and 
three  windows  on  the  south  side  of  three  lights  each.  Stalls  and  chancel  screen  (one  of 
the  few  sanctioned)  of  oak  and  richly  carved.  No  clerestory  but  lofty  nave  arcade. 
Open  timbered  roof.  The  windows  throughout  the  church  are  filled  with  stained  glass 
by  Hardman  from  designs  by  A.  W.  Pugin  and  Mr.  Carpenter.  Tower  at  present 
only  carried  up  to  belfry  stage.  It  was  the  architect's  intention  to  add  a  lofty  spire 
of  stone. 

58.  Built  on   the  site  of  an  old  church,  some  portions  of  which  were  worked  up  with   present 

building.  Nave  of  four  bays  ;  clerestory  lighted  by  round  windows j  low  aisles  ;  well- 
developed  chancel,  with  east  window  of  five  lights ;  tower  about  54  ft.  high,  surmounted 
by  a  lofty  broached  spire,  one  of  the  first  which  was  constructed  with  an  entasis.  The 
church  is  built  of  local  '  rubble,'  with  dressings  of  Mexborough  stone. 

59.  As  originally  built,  this  church  consisted  of  a  nave  and  aisles  63  ft.  long  and  50  ft.  across, 

with  north  and  south  porches.  West  tower  with  lofty  stone  spire,  chancel  (34  x  17  ft.) 
with  vestry  on  the  north  side.  It  has  since  been  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  a  second 
south  aisle  to  nave.  Short  aisles  have  also  been  added  to  the  chancel.  The  peculiarity  of 
this  structure  is  the  use  of  chalk  for  all  the  pillars,  arches,  and  ashlaring.  The  chalk  was 
obtained  from  quarries  near  Guildford,  and  is  veined  like  white  marble.  The  effect  of 
this  material  is  very  striking. 

60.  Built  of  stone.  Spire  not  yet  completed.     N.B.   In  the  reference  to  this  church,  p.  243,  line 

4,  for  latter  read  former. 

61.  The  design  of  this   building  is,  with  certain  modifications,  based  on  a  study  of  Heckington 

Church.  It  is  cruciform  in  plan,  with  a  tower  and  spire  at  the  south-west  end.  The 
chancel  is  richly  fitted  up  with  a  reredos,  stone  and  metal  parcloses,  oak  stalls,  sedilia,  and 
a  handsome  rood  screen.  The  nave  consists  of  six  bays,  lighted  by  clerestory  windows. 
A  mortuary  chapel  is  added  to  the  north  side  of  the  north  aisle,  to  which  it  is  open  under 
a  double  arch,  and  contains  an  altar  tomb,  with  a  recumbent  erfigy  of  the  founder.  Many 
of  the  windows  are  filled  with  stained  glass  of  excellent  quality.  Dimensions:  143  ft. 
long  j  90  ft.  across  transepts  \  tower  and  spire  195  ft.  high,  built  of  stone.     (See  p.  243.) 


382  Selected  Examples  of  Got /lie  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

62 

1847 

R.  C.  Church  of 

St.  Giles 

Cheadle 

A.  W.  Pugin       . 

Early  Decorated 

63 

1847 

Landwade  Hall    . 

Cambridgeshire    . 

J.  C.  Buckler       . 

XV.  century   . 

64 

1847-48 

Ch.   of  the   Holy 
Trinity 

Leverstock,  Herts 

R.  &  J.  Brandon 

Middle  Pointed 

65 

1847-48 

Ch.  of  St.  Matthew 

City    Road,  Lon- 
don 

G.  G.  Scott,  R.A. 

Early  Pointed  . 

66 

1847-48 

Ch.  ofS.  Philip   . 

Leeds  . 

G.  G.Scott,  R.A. 

Early  English  . 

67 

1 847-49 

Penn  Wood  Ch. 

Near  Amersham 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 

Geometrical 
Decorated 

68 

1847-50 

Peckforton  Castle 

Near  Tarporley, 
Cheshire 

A.  Salvin,  F.S.A. 

XIII.  century 

69 

1848-49 

Ch.of  S.  Barnabas 

Pimlico,  London  . 

T.  Cundy    . 

Early  English  . 

70 

1848-50 

Treberfydd  House 

Near  Brecon, 
South  Wales 

J. L.Pearson, F.S.A. 

Manorial   Go- 
thic 

71 

1848-50 

Aldermaston 
Manor 

Berkshire     . 

P.  C.   Hardvvick, 
F.S.A. 

Manorial   Go- 
thic 

72 

1848-51 

Subdeaneiy  Ch.    . 

Chichester  . 

R.  C.  Carpenter  . 

'  Flowing ' 
Decorated 

erected  between   1820  ami  1870.  383 


Remarks 


62.  This  church,  erected  at  the  expense  of  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  was  perhaps  the  most  costly- 

one  for  its  size  which  Pugin  executed.  The  interior  is  completely  covered  with  decorative 
painting.  The  rood  screen  is  of  a  very  elaborate  design.  The  east  window  is  of  five 
lights.  In  the  wall,  on  either  side,  are  stone  niches  richly  canopied,  and  containing  statues 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  St.  Giles.  Over  the  altar  is  placed  a  stone  screen  of  tabernacle 
work,  with  figures  of  the  Apostles.  The  church  has  a  lofty  tower  and  broached  spire  at 
its  west  end. 

63.  Erected  for  Alexander   Cotton,  Esq.,  on   the  site  of  an  old   moated  mansion,  portions  of 

which  were  retained  and  incorporated  with  the  new  building.  A  large  embattled  tower 
stood  at  the  inner  angle  of  the  front.  At  the  south-west  angle,  on  the  edge  of  the  moat, 
an  octagonal  turret  was  added  for  strength  to  the  ancient  wall.  The  interior  is  fitted  with 
oak  screens,  panelled  work,  carved  chimney-pieces,  &c.  The  approach  is  over  a  bridge 
of  three  arches.     Built  of  red  brick,  with  richly-ornamented  chimneys  and  stone  dressings. 

64.  Erected  for  the   Earl  of  Verulam   and   other  subscribers.     Walls  of  flint,  with   Caen  stone 

dressings.  Nave,  4.9x19  ft.;  chancel,  26x16  ft.,  with  sacristy  on  north  side.  Small 
clerestory;  open  timbered  roof.     Cost,  j,6oo/. 

65.  Nave  of  five  bays,  with   clerestory  and  aisles  ;  raised  chancel,  sacristy,  and  tower  at  east  end 

of  south  aisle,  with  stone  spire  and  angle  spirelets  ;  open  timbered  roof  over  nave  ;  chancel 
roof  polygonal  ;  east  window  of  five  lights. 

66.  Built   for  J.  G.   Marshall,  Esq.      Nave   of  five   bays,  with   aisles   and   clerestory  ;  chancel, 

with  sacristy  on  north  side  ;  south  tower  and  spire.  Walls  are  of  '  Bramley  Fall  '  stone 
externally,  and  Caen  stone  inside.     The  church  is  vaulted  with  stone  throughout. 

67.  Built  for  the  Earl  Howe   on    a   spot  selected  by  the   late  Queen  Adelaide,  who  presented  a 

stained-glass  window  to  the  church.  Materials  used  in  construction  were  flint,  Bath  stone, 
and  indurated  chalk  of  the  neighbourhood.  It  is  m  ft.  long,  and  has  a  lofty  central 
tower  and  spire. 

68.  Erected  for  J.  Tollemache,  Esq.,  M.P.     Built  of  stone  with  interior  fittings  of  oak.     View 

engraved  in  'Illustrated  London  News/ 

69.  Erected  for  the  Rev.  W.  J.  E.  Bennett,  now  Vicar  of  Frome.     (See  p.  248.) 

70.  Erected  for  Robert   Raikes,  Esq.     Mr.  Pearson  was  at  first   employed  to   make  a  small 

addition  to  a  square-built  modern  house,  but  from  time  to  time  further  alterations  were 
required  until  at  last  nearly  the  whole  of  the  original  house  was  pulled  down.  Unfor- 
tunately, however,  some  of  the  old  arrangement  of  rooms,  Sec,  had  to  be  retained,  which  to 
some  extent  interfered  with  the  architect's  intentions  in  design.  The  materials  used  in 
the  construction  were  red  sandstone  and  Bath  stone  dressings.  The  garden  and  grounds 
were  carefully  laid  out  in  character  with  the  architecture  by  Mr.  Nesfield. 

71.  Erected   for   Higford   Burr,    Esq.     The    first  country    house  on   which    the   architect   was 

engaged.  The  site  is  very  picturesque.  The  house  stands  on  a  natural  terrace  over- 
looking a  park  filled  with  oak  trees  and  the  valley  of  the  Kennet.  The  tower  is  the 
most  conspicuous  object,  and  groups  well  with  the  gables  and  other  portions  in  eveiy 
direction.  The  materials  used  were  red  brick  and  Bath  stone.  Dimensions:  170  x60  ft., 
exclusive  of  stables. 

72.  This  church  was  built  to  supply  the  place  of  one  found  in  the  north  transept  of  the  Cathedral, 

but  which  was  incorporated  with  the  Cathedral  when  that  building  was  restored. 
The  church  is  built  of  Caen  stone  throughout,  with  richly-moulded  windows  on  the 
south  side  and  larger  windows  at  the  east  end.  The  nave  and  chancel  are  nearly  of 
the  same  width  as  the  south  aisle  and  chancel  aisle,  and  extend  to  the  same  length.  A 
tower  was  proposed  for  erection  at  the  west  of  the  south  aisle,  but  has  not  yet  been  built. 
The  nave  arcade  is  of  lofty  proportions.  The  details  have  been  worked  out  with  great 
care  and  the  flowing  tracery  of  the  windows  is  very  beautiful. 


384  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


73 

74 
75 
76 


77 


78 


79 
80 


81 


82 
83 


Date 


Building 


1 849-50 

1849-51 
1849-52 
1849-51 


1849-51 


1849-51 


1849-52 
1849-52 


Ch.  of  St.  Matthew 


Situation 


Architect 


Style 


Lanscove,  Devon  .    J.L  Pearson, F.S.  A.  E.irly  Decorated 


Ch.   of  the  Holy      Haverstock  Hill, 
Trinity  London 

Sketty,  near  Swan- 
sea 


Church  of  St.  Paul 
Ch.  of  St.  James  . 


Choristers'  School 


Church  of  the 

Holy  Innocents 


Tortworth  Court 

Church  of  the 
Holy  Trinity 


1849-51      St.  Mary  Magda- 
len Church 


1849-51 
1849-59 


Devonport 


Magdalen  Coll., 
Oxford 


Highnam,  near 
Gloucester 


T.  H.  Wyatt 
H.  Woodyer 
J.  P.  St.  Aubyn 


J.  C.  Buckler 


H.  Woodyer 


Geometrical 
Pointed 

Middle  Pointed 
Second  Pointed 


XV.  century 


Middle  Pointed 


Gloucestershire 
Westminster 


S.  S.  Teulon         .     Tudor 
J.L.  Pearson,  F.S.  A.    Early  Decorated 


Merthyr  Manor 
Church 

All   Saints'  Ch. 
and  two  houses 


Munster  Square, 
London 


R.  C.  Carpenter  . 


Near  Bridgend,  J.  Piichard 

Glamorganshire 

Margaret  Street, 
London 


Decorated 


W.  Butteiricld     . 


First  Pointed 


Middle  Pointed 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  385 


Remarks 


73.  The  details  of  tliis  church  are  very  simple.     The  south  aisle  has  a  pointed  roof,  like  the  nave, 

and  abuts  at  the  east  end  against  the  tower,  which  is  square  in  plan,  and  about  4.0  ft.  high, 
with  spire  53  ft.  high.  Chancel  of  full  dimensions,  and  properly  stalled.  Walls  of  local 
stone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings. 

74.  Nave,  aisles,   and    chancel.      Tower  and  broached  spire,  with   gablets,  &c,    at  west   end. 

Built  of  Swanage  stone.     General  dimensions,  133  x  73  ft.     (See  p.  301.) 

75.  Length,    120  ft.  ;    spire  (of  shingled  oak),    100  ft.  high.     Walls  of  limestone,  with   Bath 

stone  dressings. 

76.  Erected  for  the   Rev.  A.  B.  Hutchinson  at  a  cost  of  6,288/.  ;  will  hold  1,093   persons.     It 

has  a  tower  and  spire  on  south  side,  with  porch  below  ;  nave  arcade  of  five  bays,  clustered 
piers;  clerestory  has  five  two-light  windows;  roofs  open  timbered  and  of  good  pitch. 
Built  of  limestone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.  Nave,  80x27  ft.;  aisles,  80x15  ft.; 
chancel,  37  x  24  ft.  ;  steeple,  125  ft.  high.  The  parsonage  house  and  schools  form  with 
the  church  three  sides  of  a  quadrangle,  and  are  built  of  the  same  materials. 

77.  The  front   towards  High  Street   presents  an  elevation  of  five  bays  divided  by  buttresses,  and 

containing  a  range  of  square-headed  transomed  windows.  The  north  elevation  is  distin- 
guished by  a  central  porch,  with  a  book-room  over,  approached  by  a  turret  staircase.  The 
parapet  is  embattled,  and  the  east  and  west  walls  terminate  in  gables.  Open  timbered 
roof,  with  arches  springing  from  stone  corbels.  Walls  of  Bladon  stone,  with  Park  Spring 
and  Box  Hill  stone  dressings.     General  dimensions,  70  x  25  ft. 

78.  Lofty  tower  of  three  stages,  and  octagonal  spire.     Below  the  belfry  stage  there  is  a  deep  band 

of  ornamental  panelling,  with  shields,  &c.  The  buttresses,  cornice-mouldings,  &c,  are 
well  studied.  The  interior,  which  is  very  complete  in  effect,  includes  a  lofty  chancel 
with  a  ceiled  roof,  a  rich  chancel  arch  and  oak  screen,  nave  arcade  of  five  bays,  clerestory 
lighted  by  quatrefoil  windows,  &c.  Length,  130  ft.  ;  spire,  200  ft.  high.  Built  of  gray 
stone,  with. Bath  stone  and  Devonshire  marbles.  Contains  decorative  paintings  by  T. 
Gambier  Parry,  Esq.,  at  whose  expense  it  was  erected. 

79.  Built   for   the    Earl  of  Ducie.      The    walls   are  of  stone  from  the    estate.      Dimensions, 

200  x  115  ft. 

80.  Cruciform  plan,  with  aisles  to  the  nave  and  chancel.     A  central  tower  and  spire,  nearly  200 

ft.  high.  The  tower  is  open  internally  to  a  height  of  55  ft.,  and  forms  a  lantern,  which 
is  groined  over.  There  is  a  spacious  sacristy  on  the  north  side.  The  chancel  is  raised  on 
steps  and  richly  paved  with  encaustic  tiles,  the  altar  itself  being  placed  on  a  footpace. 
The  organ  stands  in  the  north  chancel  aisle  ;  the  east  window  is  of  seven  lights.  Stone 
pulpit  elaborately  carved,  and  enriched  with  black  marble  shafts. 

81.  The  plan  consists  of  a  nave  and  chancel  with  wide  south  aisle.     The  north  aisle  was  pro- 

posed to  be  of  the  like  dimension  but  was  never  built.  A  south-west  tower  and  spire. 
The  motif  of  this  design  was  the  Church  of  Austin  Friars.  It  has  no  clerestory,  but 
nave  arcades  of  great  height.  The  windows  are  filled  with  stained  glass,  the  east 
window  having  been  designed  by  Pugin.  The  west  window  (by  Clayton  and  Bell) 
was  filled  with  stained  glass  as  a  memorial  to  the  architect  by  his  friends.  The 
chancel  has  mural  arcuation,  with  marble  shafts  and  richly-decorated  canopies.  This 
church  is  one  of  the  few  in  which  the  architect  was  enabled  to  carry  out  his  views 
completely  without  being  hindered  by  pecuniary  considerations.     (See  p.  250.) 

82.  Erected  for  the  Right  Hon.  John  Nicholl.     Built  of  a  local  flat  bedded  stone,  with  dress- 

ings of  Sutton  stone.     Nave,  41  x  22  ft. ;  chancel,  26  x  16  ft.  3  in. 

83.  This  church,  one  of  the  most  unique  and  sumptuously-decorated  buildings  of  its  class   in 

London,  was  erected  at  the  cost  of  Mr.  Henry  Tritton  and  other  subscribers.  It  was. 
the  first  important  modern  structure  for  which  brick  was  used  in  a  decorative  and 
artistic  manner.  Stone,  granite,  marbles,  alabaster,  and  tiles  were  also  employed.  The 
interior  is  further  enriched  with  inlaid  patterns  in  mastic,  and  with  fresco  paintings 
by  the  late  Mr.  Dyce,  R  A.  The  east  and  north  walls  are  built  against  other  struc- 
tures, and  were  therefore  unavailable  for  windows.     (See  p.  252.) 


386  Selected  Examples  of  GotJiic  Buildings 


No. 


84 


85 


86 


87 


89 
90 

91 

92 
93 


94 


Date 


Building 


Situation 


Architect 


Style 


1850-52     St.  Matthias's  Ch.      Stoke  Newington,      W.  Butterfield 

London 


1850-59 


1850 


1850 


Ch.  of  St.  Stephen 


Ch.  Sec.  of  St.  Serf     Burntisland 


Devonport 


Middle  Pointed 


J.  P.  St.  Aubyn  .      Second  Pointed 


Abbey  Mere 


88       1850-53     St.  Peter's  Church 


1850-53 

1850-54 

1851 

1851-53 
1851-53 


1851-53 


Westroof  Hall  . 
Ch.  of  St.  John  . 
Ch.  and  College  . 

Ch.  of  St.  John  . 
St.  John's  College 


Plymouth 


R.  C.  Carpenter  .      Early     Scotch, 
Middle  Pointed 


W.  Butterfield 


Early  Decorated 


Elsted,  nr.  Peters-      B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A.      Geometrical 
field,  Hampshire  Second 

Pointed 


Diocesan  Tiinity 
School 


Near  Leek,  Staf- 
fordshire 

Weymouth,  Dor- 
set 

Isle  of  Cumbray, 
Scotland 


Kenelwark,  Kent 

Hurstpierpoint, 
Su-sex 


Hadfield.Weight-  ',  XVI.  century 
man  &  Goldie  Domestic 


Saltley,  near  Bir- 
mingham 


T.T.Bury.F.S.A 


W.  Butterfield 


E.  Christian 


Decorated 


Early  Decorated 


Decorated 


R.  C.  Carpenter  .   j  Early  XIV. 
century 


B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 


XIV.  century 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  387 


Remarks 


84.  A  very  original  and  grandly-proportioned  work,  which  attracted  much  notice  on  its  comple- 

tion. It  is  built  Or  common  white  brick  with  but  little  stone  dressing.  The  plan  consists 
of  a  nave  with  lofty  clerestory  ;  rather  low  aisles,  and  a  massive  gabled  tower,  which  rises 
over  junction  of  nave  with  chancel,  and  is  carried  on  two  arches  which  span  the  church 
transversely  ;  the  sanctuary  is  waggon-vaulted  in  red  brick,  with  stone  ribs  ;  the  east 
window  is  of  five  cinquefoiled  lights  with  a  traceried  circle.  The  church  is  provided  with 
gas  standards,  elegantly  designed  and  wrought.  General  dimensions,  135  x  45  ft. ;  height 
to  ridge  of  roof,  70  ft.     The  parsonage  was  added  a  few  years  later. 

85.  Erected   for  the  Rev.    G.    Proctor.     The  site  of  this  church  is  bounded   on   three   sides  by 

streets,  and  the  whole  area  is  occupied  by  a  square  plan,  comprising  nave  and  north  aisle, 
without  clerestory ;  chancel  and  large  east  tower.  The  chancel  is  fitted  up  with  stalls 
and  subsellte.  The  window  tracery  is  varied,  but  rather  late  in  style.  Built  of  limestone, 
with  Bath  stone  dressings.  Chancel  fittings  oak;  roof  timbers  deal.  Nave,  66  x  20  ft.  ; 
aisles,  66  x  16  ft. 5  chancel,  35  x  16  ft. ;  tower  and  spire,  160  ft.  high.  The  south  aisle  is 
still  unbuilt. 

86.  This   group  of  buildings  includes  a  church,  schools,  parsonage,  and  baptistery.     The  three 

latter  are  complete,  and  the  church  is  in  progress.  The  style  of  the  house  is  after  the 
ancient  Scottish  model,  with  stepped  gables,  &c.  The  baptistery,  which  forms  a  distinct 
building  at  the  west  end  of  the  church,  is  octagonal,  and  groined  with  stone.  The  design 
of  the  house  is  on  a  grand  scale,  with  nave,  aisles,  apsidal  chancel,  and  north-west  tower 
and  spire.     It  is  to  be  erected  at  the  cost  of  the  incumbent. 

87.  Various  buildings,  including  residences,  gateway,  hall,  large  printing-rooms,  &c,  erected  for 

Miss  Sellon.     Materials  used  :  local  stone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.     (See  p.  256.) 

88.  Elected  at  great   cost  by  the  late   Rev.    L.   Vernon-Harcourt.     Mr.  Sharpe,  the  author  of 

'  Architectural  Parallels,'  describes  it  as  one  of  the  best  modern  churches  of  its  time.  It 
stands  on  the  slope  of  one  of  the  South  Down  hills,  and  is  a  conspicuous  object  from  the 
surrounding  country.  The  materials  used  in  construction  were  local  stone  and  Caen  stone, 
with  Minton's  tiles  for  internal  decoration.  The  woodwork  is  of  oak  throughout. 
Nave,  56  x  20  ft. ;  chancel,  36  x  17  ft.  ;  aisles,  9  ft.  wide  ;  tower  and  spire,  96  ft.  high. 

89.  A  large  and  important  pile  of  buildings,  constructed  of  red  sandstone. 

90.  Built  of  rubble,  faced,  and    Bath  stone   dressings.     Nave  and   aisles,  75  ft.  long,  and  49  ft. 

across;  chancel,  30  x  19  ft.  ;  tower,  19  ft.  square,  and  140  ft.  high  to  top  of  spire. 

91.  Erected   for  the  Hon.  G.  H.  Boyle  (now  Earl  of  Glasgow).     The  buildings  are  terraced  on 

the  side  of  a  hill  at  several  levels.  Materials  used  :  local  stone,  with  some  Aberdeen 
granite  ;  mosaic  work  of  tiles,  &c. 

92.  Built  of  local  '  rag  '  and  white  sandstone.     General  dimensions,  m  x  48  ft. 

93.  The   first  of  the  great  schools  erected  by  Canon  Woodard  in  connection  with  the  College  at 

Lancing.  It  accommodates  350  boys.  The  buildings  are  planned  in  two  quadrangles, 
measuring  respectively  118x150  ft.  and  123x150  ft.  The  dormitories  accommodate 
fifty  boys  each.  There  is  a  large  dining  hall  with  an  open  timber  roof.  The  chapel 
(at  present  unfinished  as  regards  the  ante-chapel)  was  designed  by  Messrs.  Slater  and  Car- 
penter. A  flight  of  fourteen  steps  leads  to  the  altar.  The  reredos  (partly  completed)  is 
of  alabaster  and  marbles  richly  carved  by  Forsyth.  Walls  of  the  main  building  are  of 
flint,  with  Caen  stone  dressings.     Roof  of  brown  tiles. 

94.  Planned  in  a  quadrangle  ico  x  82  ft.,  surrounded  by   buildings  30  ft.   wide,  with  slightly 

projecting  wings,  bay-windows,  &c.  Built  of  Bath  stone  and  rag  stone  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood.    Cost  about  12,000/. 


388 

s 

elected  Examples  of  Goi 

V/ir  Buildings 

No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

95 

1851-55 

'  Holy  Catholic  & 
Apostolic  Ch.' 

Gordon  Square, 
London 

R.  Brandon 

Early  English  . 

96 

1851 

Danesfield  Church 

Berkshire 

A.   W.  Pugin     . 

Middle  Pointed 

97 

1852 

St.  John's  Church 

Eton,  Windsor    . 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 

Geometrical 
Decorated 

98 

1852 

Estbury   Alms- 
houses 

Lambourne,  Berks 

T.T.Bury,F.S  A. 

Tudor     . 

99 

1852 

Forest  Hill  . 

Christchurch, 
Kent 

E.  Christian 

Decorated  .     . 

100 

1852-61 

Ch.  of  All  Saints 

Kensington  Park, 
Notting  Hill 

W.White,  F.S.A 

Middle  Pointed 

101 

1852-62 

Ch.  of  St.  Stephen 

Tunbridge,  Kent 

E.  Christian 

Early  English 

102 

1852-53 

Oxford    Diocesan 
Training  College 

Culham 

J.  Clarke,  F.S.A. 

XIV.  century  . 

103 

1852-54 

Ch.  of  St.  Stephen 

Redditch,  Wor- 
cestershire 

H.  Woodyer 

Middle  Pointed 

104 
105 

1852 
1853-70 

Christ  Church      . 
Ch.  of  St.  Peter 

Glanogwen,   near 
Bangor 

Bournemouth 

T.  H.  Wyatt       . 
G.  E.  Street,  R.A. 

Early  Pointed  . 

Early  Middle 
Pointed 

106 

1853-60 

Ch.  of  St.  Mary 

Buckland  St. Mary, 
Chard, Somerset 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 

Late  Second 
Pointed 

107 

1853-54 

Theological   Col- 
lege 

Cuddesdon,  Wheat- 
ley,  Oxford 

G.E.Street,  R.  A. 

Early  Middle 
Pointed 

108 

1853 

St.  Aidan's  Theo- 
logical College 

Birkenhead 

T.  H.  Wyatt  and 
D.  Brandon 

Tudor    . 

109 

1853 

1 

Dunstall  Church 

Burton-on-Trent 

H.  Clutton  . 

XIV.  century  . 

erected  between  1820  and  1S70.  389 


Remarks 


95.  One  of  the  largest  and  most  imposing  modern  churches  in  England.     It  contains  an  area 

of  20,000  square  ft.  Its  internal  length  is  212  ft.  5  width  from  north  to  south  of 
transepts,  77  ft.  ;  width  of  nave  and  aisles,  56  ft.  Built  of  Bath  stone,  with  groined 
chancel  and  presbytery,  &c.  When  completed,  the  church  will  be  extended  40  ft.  west- 
ward, and  the  central  tower  and  spire  will  be  carried  up  300  ft.  high. 

96.  Erected  for  Mr.  Scott  Murray.     This  was  the  last  work,  which  Pugin  executed. 

97.  Erected  for  the  Provost  and  Fellows  of  Eton  College.     The  foundation  stone  was  laid  by 

the  late  Prince  Consort,  who  took  much  interest  in  the  building.  Nave,  101  x  23  ft. 
Tower  and  spire,  160  ft.  high.     Built  of  Bath  stone,  Kentish  rag,  and  brick. 

98.  These  buildings  occupy  four  sides  of  a  quadrangle,  with  a  cloister  on  each  side,  into  which 

the  rooms  open.  The  entrance  is  in  the  centre,  with  a  tower  above.  Built  of  brick,  with 
stone  dressings.     General  dimensions,  including  principal's  house,  90  x  80  ft. 

99.  Erected  by  subscription.     Built  of  Kentish  rag  and  Box  stone  dressings.     General  dimen- 

sions, 146  x  60  ft. 

100.  A  large  church  treated  with  much  originality.     The  tower,  which  is  at  the  west  end,  has 

an  octagonal  belfry  stage  in  stone  of  varied  tints.  After  the  completion  of  the  main 
fabric  it  stood  unfinished  for  some  years.  It  then  passed  into  other  hands,  when  the 
fitting  and  decorative  portions  were  carried  out  under  the  supervision  of  a  civil  engineer  ! 
(See  p.  291) 

101.  In   plan    a  broad   parallelogram  under  a  low  pitched   roof,  with   no  external  distinction 

between  nave  and  chancel.  To^erat  east  end  of  south  side.  A  group  of  five  lancet 
lights  forms  the  east  window.  Roofs  open  timbered,  but  ceiled  over  chancel.  Nave 
arcade  of  five  bays  and  a  half.  Plain  cylindrical  shafts  with  well-moulded  caps  and 
bases.     Built  of  Kentish  rag  and  local  sandstone.     General  dimensions,  104  x  66  ft. 

102.  Quadrangle  with  chapel,  principal's  and  masters'  house.     Calculated  to  accommodate  about 

1,000  pupil  teachers. 

103.  Length,  165  ft.;  width,  96  ft.  ;  spire,  148  ft.  high.  Built  of  local  sandstone  and  Bath  stone. 

104.  Built  of  stone.     Nave  (with  clerestory),  chancel,  and  aisles.     Tower  and  broached  spire  at 

south-west.    One  of  many  churches  erected  by  Mr.  Wyatt  in  Wales. 

105.  This  work  consisted  in  the  remodelling  of  an  inferior  modern  structure.     The  plan  com- 

prises a  nave  of  five  bays  with  aisles,  a  groined  chancel  with  aisles,  and  western  tower. 
The  west  portion  of  the  north  chancel  aisle,  used  as  an  organ  chamber,  opens  with  a 
single  arch  to  the  chancel.  The  clerestory  has  two-light  windows  in  each  bay.  The 
tower  and  spire  are  at  the  west  end,  with  a  small  staircase  at  the  north-east  angle.  The 
chancel  is  richly  decorated  with  marble,  &c.     The  works  are  still  in  progress. 

106.  Built  of  flint  and  Hamden  Hill  stone.     This  is  one  of  the  first  modern  churches  which  con- 

tain sculptured  figures  in  niches.     The  pulpit,  chancel  screen,  &c,  are  richly  decorated. 

107.  Built  for  the  Bishop  (Wilberforce)  of  Oxford.     A  simple  but  picturesque  pile  of  buildings, 

chiefly  depending  for  effect  on  artistic  proportions.  The  upper  story  is  lighted  by  large 
dormers  with  hipped  gables.  Most  of  the  windows  are  square-headed,  and  arranged  in 
long  rows  with  discharging  arches  above.  An  octagonal  staircase  turret,  and  an  open 
cloister  running  the  whole  length  of  the  structure,  are  conspicuous  features  in  the  design. 
Further  additions  and  a  larger  chapel  are  proposed. 

108.  A  large  and  important  group  of  buildings,  three  stories  in   height.     Built  of  brick,  with 

stone  dressings.  The  principal  fronts  haveoriel  windows,  stepped  gables,  &c.  General 
dimensions,  240  x  190  ft. 

109.  Erected  for  John  Hardy,  Esq.     A  small  church,  built  of  Dufneld  Bank  stone,  and  Holling- 

ton  stone. 

D  D 


390  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


no 


11 


112 


113 


114 


Date 

i853-55 
1853-65 

i853-55 
1854-65 


i854-55 


Building 


Ch.  and  College 
of  St.  Raphael 

House  of  Mercy, 
Orphanage,  and 
Hospital 

Ch.  of  St.  John    . 

Church,  Parsonage, 
Schools,  Alms- 
houses, Sec. 


Ch.  of  St.  Luke  . 


Situation 


115 


1854-70      College     of     SS. 
Mary  &  Nicho 
las 


116 


117 


118 


Bristol 


Bovey   Tracey, 
Devon 


Bedminster,  Bris- 
t  1 

Boyne   Hill,  near 
Maidenhead 


Marylebone, 
London 


Lancing,  Sussex 


1854.         Jesus  College 


1854-55 


1S54-55 


119  1854 


120 


1855-57 


Clergy  Orphan 
School 


Ch.  of  St.  John    . 
Ch.  of  St.  James. 


Church     of     SS. 
Simon  and  Jude 


Oxford 


Architect 


H.  Woodyer 
H.  Woodyer 

J.  Norton    . 
G.E.  Street,  R.A. 


E.  Christian 


Style 


Middle  Pointed 
Middle  Pointed 

XIII.  century 

Early  Middle 
Pointed 


R.  C.  Carpenter, 
&  continued  by 
W.  Slater  &  R. 
H.  Carpenter 


St.  Thomas's  Hill, 
Canterbury 


Lewisham    Road, 
Deptford 

Plymouth    . 


J.  C.  Buckler 


Decorated 


Geometrical 
Pointed 


XV.  century 


P.   C.   Hardwick,     Pointed 
F.S.A. 


P.    C.    Hardwick, 
F.S.A. 

J.  P.  St.  Aubyn  . 


Earl's    Hilton,  R.    C.    Carpenter 

Leicestershire  and  W.  Slater 


Pointed 


Decorated 


Decorated 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  391 


Remarks 


1 


IO.  Almshouse    for   seamen,  erected  by  the  Rev.    Robert  Miles,  Rector  or'  Bingham,  Notts. 
Front  of  college,  150  ft.  long.     (See  p.  329.) 

111.  Area,  including  quadrangle,  37,000  square  ft.    Built  of  red  brick,  and  Bath  stone.    Erected 

for  the  Clewer  Sisterhood.     (See  p.  331.) 

112.  Built  of  Hanham   sfone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.     Roofed  with  green  slates.     General 

dimensions,  171  x  82  ft. 

•  _ 

113.  These  buildings  occupy  three  sides  of  a  quadrangle.     The  walls  are  of  red  brick  relieved 

by  bands  of  stone,  and  the  roofs  are  of  red  tiles.  The  church  has  a  clerestoried  nave  and 
aisles  of  four  bays,  chancel,  &c.  Piers  alternately  circular  and  quatrefoil  in  plan.  In  the 
spandrils  of  the  arcade  are  circular  panels  enriched  with  stone  carving.  At  the  back  of 
the  stalls  rise  iron  screens  very  gracefully  designed.  The  chancel  "is  richly  decorated 
with  an  elaborate  reredos.     The  church  has  a  detached  tower  and  spire. 

114.  Erected  by  subscription  as  a  thank-offering  after  the   cholera  year.     Built  of  Kentish  rag, 

with  Bath  stone  dressings.  The  site  of  this  church  was  a  difficult  one  to  deal  with,  its 
breadth  from  north  to  south  being  greater  than  its  length.  The  plan  includes  a  nave 
and  aisles  of  three  bays,  with  a  shallow  sanctuary  beyond.  The  south  aisle  is  fitted  up 
with  a  gallery  containing  the  organ.  The  construction  of  the  roof  is  very  peculiar.  The 
entrance  porch  is  on  the  south  side,  in  Nutford  Place,  under  a  square  tower,  which 
is  surmounted  by  four  massive  pinnacles.  The  arch  and  mouldings  of  this  porch  are 
enriched  with  carving  designed  and  executed  with  great  refinement.  General  dimensions, 
100  x  71  ft. 

115.  Still  in  progress.     Buildings  planned    in   three   quadrangles,   of  which  one  and   part  of 

another  are  finished.  The  dining  hall  (101  x  3 6  ft)  has  a  lofty  open  roof,  with  an 
oak-shingled  lantern.  On  each  side  are  large  stone  dormers  richly  treated.  Below 
these  is  a  row  of  two-light  windows.  The  library  has  an  open  panelled  roof,  with  a 
series  of  gabled  windows.  The  chapel  has  just  been  begun,  and  will  be  on  a  very  grand 
scale.  It  will  consist  of  nine  bays  (groined),  besides  an  ante-chapel  of  three  bays  and 
the  apse.  A  crypt  will  extend  under  its  whole  length.  There  will  be  a  triforium  gallery 
at  the  west  end,  a  tower  300  ft.  high  at  the  south-west  angle,  and  an  entrance  cloister. 

116.  Erected  for  the  Principal  and  Fellows.     The  new  front  presents  a  straight  line  of  building, 

but  the  treatment  of  certain  features  in  the  elevation  has  produced  a  picturesque  effect. 
The  gateway  rower  is  in  the  centre,  rising  to  a  considerable  height,  with  a  square  turret 
at  one  angle,  and  embattled  parapet.  Over  the  archway  is  an  oriel  window.  The 
details  are  refined  and  well  executed.     Built  of  Box  Hill  and  Taynton  stone. 

117.  Built  of  Kentish  rag  and  Bath  stone.     Frontage,  230  x  170  ft.     Consists  of  chapel  (64.x 

23  ft.),  school-room  (75  x  25  ft.),  with  class-room  and  residence  for  the  master  and  a 
matron.  Sleeping  accommodation  is  provided  for  125  boys.  This  building  occupies  a  high 
and  commanding  position  to  the  north-west  of  Canterbury.  Its  details  are  comparatively 
plain,  owing  to  restrictions  as  to  cost. 

118.  Built  of  Kentish  rag.     General  dimensions,  140  x  70  ft.     Design  of  church  well  adapted  for 

hearing,  this  having  been  made  an  important  point  in  the  commission. 

119.  Erected  for  the   Rev.  J.  Bliss.     Peculiar  in  plan,  the  nave   being  double,  with   clerestory 

and  aisles.  Built  of  limestone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings  ;  chancel  fittings  of  oak. 
Double  nave,  56  x  22  ft.  each  ;  aisles,  56  x  14  ft.  ;  apsidal  chancel,  38  x  20  ft.  The 
church  is  still  in  progress. 

120.  Built  of  rough  Mount  Sorrel  granite,  with  Ancaster  stone  dressings.     A  reconstruction — 

tower  and  spire  of  ancient  church  retained.  Wide  gabled  aisles  and  chancel  aisles.  Nave 
arcade  low  in  proportion. 

D  D  2 


392  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No.        Date 


121 


1355-56 


Building 


Situation 


Ch.  of  St.  Andrew      Stamford  Street, 

Blackfriars 


Architect 


S.  S.  Teuton 


Style 


Early  Decorated 


122 


1855-68 


123 

124 


125 


125 


University  Museum 


1855 


1855-5; 


127 


128 


129 


130 


131 


1855 


i»55-57 


1855-57 
1855-61 

1855-63 

1855-58 
1855 


Ch.of  St.  James. 
Ch.  of  St.  George 


Oxford 


Crown    Life    As- 
surance Office 

R.  C.   Church  of 
St.  Mary 


All  Saints' Church 

R    C.  Ch.  of  SS. 

Mary  Si  Patrick 

R  C.  Church  of 
St.  John  (now 
the  Cathedral) 


Leyland,  near 
Preston 

Doncaster    . 


Deane  and  Wood- 
ward 


E.  Christian 


G.  G.  Scott,  R.A.     Early  Decorated 


Early  Pointed 


Decorated 


New    Bridge    St., 
Blackfriars 


Lanark,  Scotland 


Park.  Road,  Clap- 
ham 


Bandon,  Ireland 


Deane  and  Wood- 
ward 

G.  Goldie   . 


Limerick 


College  &  Church  I  Tcnbury, 

of  St.  Michael  Worcestershire 


Orchardleigh 
House 


Frome,  Somerset- 
shire 


T.T.  Bury,FS.A.     Second  Pointed 


Italian  Gothic 


Geometrical 
Pointed 


G.  Goldie 


P.  C.    Hardwick, 
F.S.A. 


H.  Woodyer 


T.  H.  Wyatt 


English  Deco- 
rated 

Pointed    . 


Middle  Pointed 


Manorial 
Gothic 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  393 


Remarks 


121.  This  church    (which   stands  north  and  south)  is  short  in  proportion  to  its  breadth.     The 

plan  comprises  a  clerestoried  nave  and  aisles  of  four  bays.  The  nave  piers  are  circular. 
Roof  open  timbered.  The  interior  is  decorated  with  red  and  white  brick.  The  reredos 
consists  of  seven  trefoiled  arches,  carried  on  serpentine  shafts,  with  discs  of  the  same 
material  in  the  spandrils,  and  a  bold  cornice  above,  enriched  with  a  band  of  encaustic 
tiles.  The  chancel  is  parclosed  by  screens.  The  external  walls  are  of  brick  and  ragstone. 
The  tower,  which  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  church,  terminates  in  four  gables  and  a  slate 
spire.     Dimensions,  96  x  65  ft. 

122.  One  of  the  most  important  modern  buildings  in  Oxford.      It  cost  60,000/.     In  style  it 

is  a  free  adaptation  of  Gothic,  strongly  influenced  by  Continental  study.  The  principal 
front  consists  of  a  three-storied  building,  from  the  centre  of  which  rises  a  tower.  The 
details  of  the  entrance  doorway  and  of  the  windows  are  richly  decorated  with  carving  in 
low  relief,  very  original  in  design,  and  executed  with  great  refinement  and  artistic  taste. 
The  contents  of  the  museum  are  deposited  in  a  quadrangle,  roofed  with  iron  and  glass, 
and  surrounded  by  an  open  cloister  of  brick  and  stone,  the  shafts  of  the  arcade  bein°- 
of  coloured  marble.  On  the  right  hand  of  the  principal  front  is  the  chemical  labora- 
tory, resembling  in  general  outline  the  Glastonbury  Abbey  kitchen.     (See  p.  283.) 

123.  Erected  for  Mrs.  Ffarington.     Built  of  local  sandstone.     General  dimensions,  100  x  70  ft. 

124.  Built  of  magnesian  limestone.     One  of  the   largest  and  most  successful  churches  which 

Mr.  Scott  has  erected.  It  is  cruciform  in  plan,  with  a  grandly  vaulted  central  lantern, 
lofty  nave,  transepts,  and  a  deep  chancel.  The  spandrils  of  the  nave  arcade  are  enriched 
with  panels  enclosing  rilievi.  The  capitals,  &c.,  are  boldly  carved;  roofs  open  timbered  ; 
eight-light  east  window.  The  south  chancel  aisle  is  groined  and  paved  with  encaustic 
tiles.     Ai>les  spanned  by  stone  arches  at  intervals.    Total  length,  167  ft.;  width,  92  ft. 

125.  One  of  the  most  original  and  carefully  designed  street  house-fronts  in  London,  not  exactly 

referable  to  any  particular  period  of  architectural  style,  but  suggestive  of  early  Venetian, 
or  at  least  of  Italian  Gothic.     It  cost  60,000/. 

126.  Built  of  local  sandstone  faced  with  Glasgow  freestone.     Finished  as  to  interior  with  unusual 

sumptuousness,  though  as  yet  not  wholly  completed.  High  altar,  pulpit,  and  communion 
rails  richly  sculptured,  with  much  use  of  marble  and  alabaster.  Fine  series  of  stone  statues 
representing  the  twelve  Apostles.  All  windows  filled  with  stained  glass.  Chancel  decorated 
in  colour.     This  building  is  picturesquely  situated,  and  overlooks  the  valley  of  the  Clyde. 

127.  Built  of  brick,  faced  with  Kentish  rag  and  Bath  stone  dressings.     Length,  120  ft.  ;  width 

across  from  aisle  to  aisle,  63  ft.,  with  transepts  extending  15  ft.  beyond. 

128.  Built  of  local  sandstone,  with  limestone  dressings.     One  of  the  most  important  Roman 

Catholic  churches  in  the  south  of  Ireland  ;  finely  situated  over  the  town  of  Bandon.  The 
interior  fittings  are  now  in  progress.     The  tower  is  unfinished. 

129.  This  church  is  in  one  of  the  poorest  parishes  of  any  city  in  Ireland  ;  part  of  it  being  the 

celebrated  '  Garry  Owen.'  It  was  the  first  attempt  to  erect  a  Roman  Catholic  church  in 
Limerick.  It  is  constructed  of  limestone.  External  length,  178  ft. ;  width,  80  ft.  Tran- 
septs, 125  x  65  ft.,  with  side  chapels.     The  spire  has  not  yet  been  finished. 

130.  Founded  by  Sir  Fred.  Gore  Ouseley,  Bart.,  chiefly  as  a  place  for  education  in  music.     It  is 

built  of  'old  red  '  sandstone  and  Bath  stone.  The  college  is  160  x  80  ft.  in  plan,  the 
church  about  130  x  80  ft.     (See  p.  329.) 

131.  Erected  for  William  Duckworth,  Esq.     Built  of  stone.      Geneial  dimensions,  150  x  100  ft. 

(See  p.  302.) 


394  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


Date 


132 


133 
134 
135 

136 


1856 


1856-60 
1856 
1856 

1856 


Building 


Sodality  Chapel 


Varney  Hall 

Balliol   College 
Chapel 

Dwelling-house 


Haley  Hill  Church 


137 

138 
139 

140 


1856 

1856 
1856 


Situation 


Stonyhurst    Coll., 
Lancashire 


Near  Ludlow, 
Salop 

Oxford 

Upper  Phillimore 
Gardens 


Halifax,  Yorkshire 


Architect 


Style 


C.  A.  Buckler     . 


Ch.  of  the  Imma- 
culate Concep- 
tion 

Pippbrook  House 

Dwelling-house    . 


1856-67   I  Addington Manor 


141 


142 


143 


144 


1856-60 


1856-58 


1856-59 


i»57-5> 


Strood,  Glouces- 
tershire 

Dorking,  Surrey  . 

Llyschelas,  An- 
glesea 

Buckinghamshire 


J.  Norton    . 

W.  Butterfield     . 

Deane  and  Wood- 
ward 


G.  G.  Scott,  R.A.     Middle  Pointed 


XV.  century 


Elizabethan 
Middle  Pointed 
Italian  Gothic 


Shadwell  Court 


Baldersley  Ch., 
Schools,  and 
Parsonage 

New  Lodge 


Ch.  of  St.  Leonard 


C.  A.  Buckler 


G.  G.  Scott,  R.A. 

Deane  and  Wood- 
ward 

P.   C.    Hardwick, 
F.S.A. 


Norfolk 


Near  Thirsk, 
Yorkshire 

Windsor  Forest 


Scorboro',  near 
Driffield,  York- 
shire 


XIII   century. 


Middle  Pointed 


Domestic 
Pointed 


S.  S.  Teulon 


W.  Butterfield 


T.T.Bury,F.S.A. 


J.  L.Pearson, F.S.A. 


XIV.    century, 
with  Belgian 
Renaissance 
detail 

Early  Decorated 


English  Do- 
mestic 


Early  Decorated 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  395 


Remarks 


132.  Apsidal  end.     The  altar  has  wreathed  columns  of  alabaster  and  carved  shrine.     Reredos  of 

stone  and  alabaster,  with  statue  andcanopy.  Sculptured  figures  of  saints  and  angels  by 
Earp.  Windows  filled  with  stained  glass  by  Havdman.  Oak  traceried  panelling  round 
apse  Choir  seats  and  screens  of  richly  carved  oak.  Roof  arched  and  panelled.  The 
whole  tastefully  decorated  in  polychrome. 

133.  Erected  for  W.  Hurt  Sitwell,  Esq.     Built  of  brick,  with    Bath  stone   dressings.     General 

dimensions,  167  x  14.2  ft. 

134.  A  refined  and  well-studied  work,  very  characteristic  of  the  architect's  style  of  design.     (See 

p.  261.) 

135.  A  curious  example  of  a  suburban  villa  residence  treated  to  a  certain  extent  in  a  Mediaeval 

spirit.  The  front  is  of  red  brick,  with  stepped  gables.  A  picturesque  staircase  turret  is 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  building,  and  a  Venetian-looking  balcony  projects  from  one  of 
the  windows.     It  cost  3,000/. 

136.  Erected  for  Colonel  Akroyd.     Built  of  stone,  marble  used  for  decorative  purposes.     Cruci- 

form plan,  consisting  of  a  clerestoried  nave  with  gabled  aisles  of  five  bays,  aisled  chancel, 
low  transepts,  engaged  tower,  and  lofty  spire.  The  clerestory  has  a  continuous  arcade. 
The  west  door  is  of  five  orders,  with  cinquefoil  arcading  on  each  side.  The  tympanum 
above  this  door  is  filled  with  sculpture  representing  our  Lord  and  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
The  exterior  is  rich  in  carved  figures.     Nave,  88  x  54  ft.;  chancel,  37  x  24.  ft. 

137.  Erected  for  the  Dominican  Friars.     Nave,  80  x  25  ft.  ;  north  and  south  aisles,  12  ft.  wide. 

North  porch  and  baptistery.  Built  of  Rodborough,  Box  Hill,  and  Painswick  stone. 
Choir  not  yet  executed. 

138.  Erected  for  J.  Forman,  Esq.,  at  a  cost  of  20,000/. 

139.  Erected  for  Lady  Dinorben,  at  a  cost  of  about  6,000/. 

140.  The  first  Gothic  house  erected  by  the  architect  without  mullions  to  the  windows ;  one  of 

the  conditions  of  its  design  being  that  large  sheets  of  plate  glass  should  be  used.  This 
was  accomplished  (without  sacrificing  the  general  effect)  by  a  careful  attention  to  the 
mouldings  of  the  window  'jambs,'  and  by  associating  the  windows  in  groups  as  far  as 
possible.  The  design  of  this  house,  owing  to  the  necessities  of  its  plan,  is  more  symme- 
trical and  formal  than  other  works  of  the  same  class  executed  by  Mr.  Hardwick,  who  has 
nevertheless  managed  to  obtain  a  broken  and  effective  sky-line  for  the  exterior. 

141.  Erected   for  Sir  Robert  J.  Buxton,  Bart.     Main   building,  about   190x80   ft.     Built   of 

various  materials,  nearly  all  local,  viz.  flint,  red  and  white  brick,  and  freestone. 

142.  Erected  for  Viscount  Downe.     Built  of  local  stone  externally,  with  brick  and  stone  inter- 

nally 5  two  stones  of  different  colours  being  used. 

143.  Erected   for   His   Excellency  S.  Van   de  Weyer,  at  a  cost  of  35,000/.     A  large  building, 

occupying  three  sides  of  a  quadrangle.  The  principal  front  is  150  ft.  long,  the  others 
130  ft.  each.  Built  of  white  Suffolk  bricks,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.  The  whole  of 
the  internal  fittings  are  of  oak,  and  of  a  very  elaborate  kind. 

144.  A  small  but  highly  enriched  church.     The  nave  and  chancel  are  of  the  same  width  and 

height  ;  the  separation  being  marked  internally  by  coupled  marble  pillars  and  double 
roof  principals.  A  triple  lancet  window,  richly  moulded,  at  east  end.  The  tower,  which 
is  of  considerable  size,  is  carried  up  square  to  the  base  of  the  belfry  st;ige,  where  it 
becomes  octagonal,  with  lofty  angular  pinnacles  stretching  up  into  the  spire,  which  is 
128  feet  from  the  ground.  Walls  lined  with  a  light  gray  stone  of  fine  textuie  ;  marble 
of  various  colours  used  for  internal  decoration. 


396  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

145 

1857-58 

Ch.  of  the   Holy 
Trinity 

Hastings 

S.  S.  Teulon 

XIV.  century 

146 

i857-59 

R.  C.  Church  of 
St.  Peter 

Scarborough 

Geo.  Goldie 

Geometrical 
Gothic 

147 

1857-67 

Episcopal    Chapel 
of"  St.  Peter 

Edinburgh  . 

W.  Slater  and  R. 
H.  Carpenter 

XIV.  century  . 

148 

1857 

Quontock    . 

Near  Bridgewater 

H.  Clutton 

Tudor     . 

149 

i857 

Quar  Wood 

Near  Stour-on- 
the-Wold, 
Gloucestershire 

J.  L.  Pearson,F.S.  A. 

Early  XIV.  cent. 

150 

1857-60 

New  Schools 

Eton  College 

H.  Woodyer 

Tudor 

151 

1857-70 

The  College 

Winchester. 

W.  Butterfield     . 

Early  XV.  cent. 

152 

1857-59 

Wickham  Rectory 

Hungerford,  Berk- 
shire 

T.T.Bury.F.S.A. 

XV.  century     . 

153 

1858-60 

Ch.  of  St.  Peter  . 

Rochester,  Kent 

E.  Christian 

Early  Decorated 

154 

1858-61 

Ch.  of  St.  Alban, 
and  houses 

Baldwin's       Gar- 
dens,Gray's  Inn 
Lane,  London 

W.  Butterfield     . 

Early  Decorated 

155 

1858-59 

Chapel  of  the  Sa- 
cred Heart 

R.C  Ch.,FarmSt. 
Berkeley  Sq. 

H.  Clutton  . 

XIII.  century 

156 

1858-62 

Kelham  Hall       . 

Near  Newark, 
Notts 

G.  G.  Scott,  R.A. 

Modified  Vene- 
tian Gothic 

157 

1858 

Christchurch 

Reading,  Berks   . 

H.  Woodyer 

Middle  Pointed 

erected  between  1820  and  1870.  397 


Remarks 


146. 


147. 

148. 
149. 

ISO. 
151. 

152. 

153. 
154. 


145.  This  church  is  cleverly  adapted  to  an  awkward  site.  It  has  a  broad  nave  and  spacious 
chancel  with  apsidal  end.  A  square  tower  over  porch  in  the  angle  between  chancel  and 
north  aisle.  A  perforated  and  stepped  gable  rises  between  the  nave  and  chancel.  The 
exterior  is  richly  decorated  with  crosses  in  stone  and  metal  ridge  crests,  roof  gablets, 
pierced  parapets,  &c.  The  tower  is  elaborately  designed.  Built  of  stone.  Internal 
length,  132  ft.;  width  of  nave,  35  ft.;  aisle,  25  ft. 

Unfinished  as  to  internal  fittings  and  tower  ;  apsidal  chancel  built  without  windows  and 
intended  for  fresco  decoration.  One  of  the  first  designed  on  this  plan.  A  large  and  pic- 
turesque presbytery  executed  in  Domestic  Gothic  of  the  same  period  adjoins.  The  situa- 
tion is  fine.  The  church  is  seen  from  the  South  Bay,  standing  a  clwval  on  the  isthmus 
connecting  the  Castle  Rock  with  Scarborough.  It  is  built  of  local  wall_  stone,  with 
Whitby  ashlaring.  The  nave  and  aisles  measure  53  x  88  ft.  The  chancel  is  27  x  23  ft. 
Total  length,  115  ft.,  and  50  ft.  high  internally. 

Peculiar  in  plan.  Nave<corumns  are  of  red  granite.  The  cloister  and  baptistery  roofs  are 
decorated  with  colour.  Windows  filled  with  stained  glass  executed  by  Clayton  and  Bell. 
Oak  slatts.     Encaustic  tiles  expressly  designed  for  chancel.     Walls  of  stone. 

Erected  for  Lord  Taunton.  A  large  and  well-appointed  mansion,  built  of  local  stone. 
Cost,  40,000/. 

This  house  (erected  for  the  Rev.  R.  W.  Hippisley)  includes,  on  the  ground  floor,  three  recep- 
tion-rooms, with  kitchen  and  all  the  usual  offices,  and  two  stories  of  bed-rooms  above.  A 
large  and  steep-roofed  tower  contains  the  principal  staircase  and  three  stories  of  bed-rooms. 
It  is  built  of  local  stone.     The  woodwork  used  is  unstained  deal.     (See  p.  303.) 

These  schools  will  accommodate  400  boys.  They  are  built  of  brick,  with  Bath  stone  dress- 
ings. Frontage,  150  ft.  ;  depth,  120  ft.  The  hall  and  master's  house  were  restored  at 
the  same  time  ;  and  some  works  were  executed  in  the  chapel. 

Rebuilding  of  tower,  and  conversion  of  the  modern  buildings  of  <  Commoners  '  into  Gothic 
library  and  class-rooms.  These  works  were  carried  out  as  a  <  Crimean  Memorial,'  at 
the  expense  of  Wykhamists,  and  of  the  Warden  and  Fellows.  Materials  used,  brick  and 
stone. 

Erected  for  the  Rev.  William  Nicholson.  Built  of  red  brick,  with  Bath  stone  dressings. 
Each  side  is  about  70  ft.  long,  with  three  large  bay  windows;  hall,  25  x  17  ft.  ;  and 
angle  tower,  95  ft.  high. 

Erected  by  subscription.  Built  of  brick,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.  General  dimensions, 
105  x  62  ft. 

A  lofty  and  well-proportioned  church.  Erected  for  the  poor  of  this  district  by  J.  G.  Hub- 
bard, Esq.,  on  a  site  given  by  Lord  Leigh.  Nave  divided  into  five  bays,  whereof  the  last 
one  at  the  west  end  is  carried  above  the  others,  and  forms  externally  a  large  gabled  belfry. 
Aisle  walls  are  decorated  with  mural  arcuation.  Chancel  enriched  with  alabaster,  and 
inlaid  ornament  in  mastic.  East  wall  painted  in  water-glass  by  Mr.  Preedy,  from  cartoons 
by  Mr.  H.  L.  Stylman  le  Strange.  Handsome  font  of  coloured  marble.  Wrought-iron 
screen  on  south  of  chancel.     Walls  of  brick  and  stone.     (See  p.  257.) 

155.  Elected  for  the  Society  of  Jesus.     A  very  refined  and  sumptuous  work,  rich  in  marble  and 

mosaics.     Size,  30  x  15  ft. 

156.  Erected  for  J.  H.  Manners  Sutton,  Esq.,  at  a  cost  of  40,000/.     Built  of  brick  and  Ancaster 

stone.     General  dimensions,  224  x  120  ft. 

157.  Built  of  blue   Pennant  and  Bath  stone.     General  dimensions,  140  x  62  ft.     Spire  (not  yet 

completed)  to  be  1  50  ft.  high.     (See  p.  330.) 


398  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

158 

1858-60 

Constabulary 
buildings 

Dunster,  Williton, 
and  Long  Ash- 
ton,  Somerset 

J.  Norton     . 

XIV.   century 

159 

1858-60 

Kilmore  Cathedral 

County  Cavan, 
Ireland 

W.  Slater     . 

Geometrical 
Decorated 

160 

1858-61 

Ch.  of  St.  Mary    . 

Dalton  Holme, 
near  Beverley 

J.L.Pearson,F.S.A. 

Early  Decorated 

161 

1858 

Memorial  Church 

Bemerton    . 

T.  H.  Wyatt       . 

Early  Pointed 

162 

1858-70 

Lyndhurst   Parish 
Church 

New  Forest,  Hamp- 
shire 

W.White,  F.S.  A. 

Middle  Pointed 

163 

1858-62 

Minley  Manor 
House 

Hampshire  . 

H.  Clutton  . 

French  Gothic 

164 

1858-62 

Walton  Hall 

Near  Warwick 

G.  G.  Scott,  R.A. 

Middle  Pointed 

165 

1858-59 

Female    Training 
College 

Ripon 

G.  F.  Bodley       . 

Middle  Pointed  J 

166 

1858 

R.  C.  Ch.  of  St. 
Alph.  Liguori 

Limerick,  Ireland 

P.   C.   Hard  wick, 
F.S.  A. 

Middle  Pointed 

167 

1858-59 

Additions  to 
mansion 

Nuffield,  Surrey  . 

J.  Norton     . 

XV.  century  . 

168 

1858 

Exeter  Col    Cha- 
pel, Library,  & 
Rector's  Lodge 

Oxford 

G.  G.  Scott,  R.A. 

Early  Pointed 

169 

1858-63 

Eatington  Park    . 

Near  Stratford- 
on-Avon 

J.  Prichard  . 

Firs*  Pointed 

erected  between  1820  and  1870.  399 


Remarks 


158.  Erected  for  the  magistrates  of  each  division.     Built  of  local  stone,  with  Bath  stone  dress- 

ings.    General  dimensions,  96  x  66  ft. 

159.  Built  of  local  black  limestone.      122  ft.  long  x  82  ft.  wide  at  transepts.     A  fine  Romanesque 

doorway  from  the  old  cathedral  (the  only  feature  of  any  interest  which  remained)  was 
removed  to  the  new  building. 

160.  Erected  for  Lord  Hotham.     The  plan  consists  of  a  nave  with  north  and  south  transepts  (no 

aisles)  ;  a  chancel  with  aisles,  one  of  which,  on  the  south  side,  is  formed  into  a  monu- 
mental chapel.  The  tower,  which  is  large,  and  surmounted  by  a  spire  about  200  tt.  high, 
stands  at  the  west  end  of  nave  ;  the  lowest  story  being  groined.  The  porch  (also  groined) 
is  on  the  south  side.  Built  of  Steetley  stone,  with  Kildenly  stone  for  the  interior.  Nave, 
57  x  23  ft. ;  chancel,  37  x  19  ft.  ;  width  across  transepts,  69  ft. 

161.  Erected  in  memory  of  the  late  Lord  Herbert.     Nave,  aisles,  chancel,  and  tower,  the  fenes- 

tration of  which  is  of  very  refined  design.     Spire  not  completed. 

162.  Erected  for  the  Rev.  J.  Compton  and  Committee.    Built  of  brick,  with  stone  tracery.    This 

church  was  reduced  to  nearly  half  its  cost  after  the  first  plans  and  estimate  were  prepared. 
Reredos  wall,  painted  in  encaustic  colour  by  F.  Leighton,  R.A.  Fine  stained  glass 
windows  by  Morris,  Marshall,  and  Co.  General  dimensions,  120  x  50  ft.  5  height  to  top 
of  spire,  135  ft.     (See  p.  293.) 

163.  Erected  for  Raikes  Currie,  Esq.    A  large  house  built  of  brick,  with  stone  dressings,  after  the 

style  of  French  chateaux  in  the  time  ot  Louis  XL 

164.  Erected  for  Sir  Charles  Mordaunt,  at  a  cost  of  about  30,000/.     Built  of  stone. 

165.  'An  important  work.    The  buildings  form  a  quadrangle  155  x  130  ft.,  with  a  well-arranged 

internal  cloister.  The  north  and  east  sides  contain  the  college  proper,  domestic  offices 
filling  up  the  remainder.  The  upper  story  is  chiefly  devoted  to  dormitories.  The 
oratory,  48  x  20  ft.,  is  well  placed  in  the  gable  over  the  library  and  music  school,  and  is 
lighted  by  a  large  east  window  * — '  Ecclesiologist,'  1859. 

166.  This  church  was  built  for  the  Order  of  the  Redemptorists,  who  devote  themselves  more 

especially  to  preaching.  It  was  therefore  essential  that  the  design  should  combine  the 
qualities  of  a  building  in  which  every  part  would  be  well  adapted  for  seeing  the  preacher, 
and  would  also  permit  the  elaborate  functions  of  the  Roman  Catholic  ritual.  In  both 
these  respects  the  building  is  said  to  be  highly  satisfactory.  External  length  (with  apse), 
182  ft.  j  width,  80  ft. ;  height  to  ridge  of  roof,  75  ft.     It  is  built  of  local  limestone. 

167.  Erected  for  H.  E.  Gurney,  Esq.     Built  of  brick,  terra  cotta,  and  local  ragstone. 

168.  The  chapel  is  of  great  height,   and,  being  groined,  is  surrounded  by  massive  buttresses. 

It  is  richly  decorated,  both  internally  and  externally,  with  ornamental  sculpture.  The  in- 
terior, which  is  finely  proportioned,  contains  a  stone  screen,  with  coupled  columns  and 
open  arches.  The  decorative  sculpture  (of  corbels  to  wall-shafts,  &c.)  is  executed  with 
great  refinement.  The  apse  windows  are  filled  with  stained  glass  by  Clayton  and  Bell. 
Below  these  the  wall  is  enriched  with  mosaic  work  (figures  of  saints,  &c,  with  gold 
background).  The  whole  of  the  chapel,  in  regard  to  fittings,  decoration,  &c,  has  been 
carried  out  on  a  most  sumptuous  scale.     (See  p.  295.) 

169.  A  mansion  erected  for  E.  P.  Shirley,  Esq.     In  this  work  the  architect  had  to  remodel  the 

exterior  of  an  existing  house,  the  internal  arrangement  of  which  was  left  intact.  Built 
of  local  white  lias  in  thin  courses,  with  quoins  and  dressings  of  Campden,  Norton,  and 
Wilmcot  stones.     (See  p.  306.) 


400  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


1  No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

170 

1859-60 

Ch.  of  St.  Peter   . 

Daylesford,  Wor- 
cestershire 

J.L.Pearson,F.S.A. 

XIII.  century 

171 

1859-61 

Parish  Church 

Titsey,  Surrey 

J. L.Pearson, F.S.A. 

XIII.  century 
(Lancet) 

172 

1859-61 

Chase  Cliffe 

Near  Cromford, 
Derbyshire 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 

Tudor    . 

173 

1859-60 

Carlett  Park 

Cheshire      . 

T.  H.  Wyatt       . 

Elizabethan     . 

174: 

1859-65 

Chapel  and  Gate- 

Arundel Castle, 

M.  E.  Hadfield    . 

English  Per- 

way 

Sussex 

pendicular 

175 

1859-60 

Ch.  of  St.  John  . 

Mainden,    New- 

Messrs.    Prichard 

Geometrical 

port,    Mon- 

and Seddon 

Decorated 

mouthshire 

176 

1859-60 

Ch.  of  S.  Michael 

and  All  Angels 

Brighton 

G.  F.  Bodley 

Early  Pointed 

177 

1859-64 

Assize  Courts  and 
Judges'    Lodg- 
ings 

Manchester 

A.  Waterhouse  . 

XIII.  century 

178 

1859-62 

Capel  Manor 

Kent  . 

T.  H.  Wyatt       . 

Italian  Gothic 

179 

1859-61 

Masters'      Court, 
Trinity  College 

Cambridge 

A.  Salvin,  F.S.A. 

Perpendicular 

180 

1859--60 

Schools 

Middleboro'-on- 
Tees 

J.  Norton    . 

Middle  Pointed 

181 

1859-64 

Ch.  of  St.  Peter  . 

Croydon,  Surrey  . 

G.  G.  Scott,  R.  A. 

Decorated 

182 

1859-62 

Ch.  of  St.  James  . 

Castle  Hill,  Dover 

] 

T.T.Bury,F.S.A 

Edward  III.    . 

erected  between  1820  and  1870.  401 


Remarks 


170.  A  small   cruciform  church,   with  central  tower   and   spire,  built  on   the  site  of  an   older 

church.  The  tomb  of  Warren  Hastings  abuts  against  the  east  wall  and  limits  the 
length  of  the  chancel,  which  is  in  consequence  short.  The  only  features  in  the  original 
structure  which  could  be  preserved  were  the  old  north  and  south  doorways.  These  were 
restored,  and  suggested  the  style  of  the  present  church. 

171.  A  carefully  finished  work.     On  the  north  of  the  chancel,  which  is  of  some  length,  there  is  a 

mortuary  chapel  groined  in  stone,  the  groining  being  carried  on  marble  shafts.  A  rich 
double  arcade  connects  this  chapel  (in  which  stands  the  tomb  of  the  founder)  with  the 
sacrarium.  The  tower  stands  on  the  south  side  of  the  nave.  It  is  square  in  plan  and  about 
4.2  ft.  high,  with  a  bold  staircase  turret  and  an  octagonal  spire  of  wood  covered  with  oak. 
shingles. 

172.  Erected  for  the  Messrs.  Hurt,  in  character  with  the  ancient  domestic  architecture  of  the 

county.  The  site  is  most  picturesque,  overlooking  the  river  Derwent  and  the  hills  of 
Matlock.  It  is  built  of '  Darley  Dale  '  and  local  stone.  General  dimensions,  90  x  60  ft., 
with  various  projecting  porches,  &c.     Stable  and  kitchen  court,  50  x  40  ft. 

173.  Erected  for  John   Toor,  Esq.     Built  of  brick  with   stone   dressings,  mullioned  windows, 

stepped  gables,  oriels,  &c.     General  dimensions,  120  x  60  ft. 

174.  This  chapel,  gateway,  and  other  works  formed  part  of  a  general  plan  for  rebuilding  the 

castle  designed  by  Mr.  Hadfield  for  the  late  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

175.  The  plan  of  this  church  consists  of  a  nave  and  south  aisle,  with  tower  at  south-west  angle. 

The  aisle  is  divided  from  the  nave  by  an  arcade  of  four  bays.  There  are  west  and  south 
porches  roofed  with  slabs  of  stone  on  moulded  ribs.  The  windows  are  large,  and  filled 
with  geometrical  tracery.  Built  of  thin  Pennant  sandstone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings. 
Bands  and  arch  voussoirs  of  blue  limestone.  The  church  will  seat  500  persons.  It  cost 
about  3,000/.     The  spire,  when  completed,  will  be  180  ft.  high. 

176.  The  plan  of  this  church  is  extremely  simple.     It  consists  of  a  nave  and  chancel  under  one 

continuous  roof,  a  lofty  clerestory,  low  aisles,  and  a  western  narthex,  approached  by  a 
flight  of  steps  on  each  side,  as  the  ground  falls  considerably  from  east  to  west.  The  east 
window  is  raised  to  some  height  above  the  chancel  floor  and  filled  with  plate  tracery.  The 
nave  arcade  is  of  4  bays  with  unmoulded  arches,  carried  on  short  round  piers  with  massive 
capitals  carved  in  low  relief.  In  the  west  gable  is  a  large  wheel  window,  enclosing^  7 
plain  circular  lights  distributed  round  a  central  one  which  is  cusped.  The  church  is  built 
and  lined  with  brick  relieved  by  bands  of  stone.  It  contains  some  fine  stained  glass  by 
Morris  &  Co. 

177.  Remarkable  for  a  certain  admixture  of  Italian  Gothic  in  details.    A  very  important  and  well- 

planned  building,  the  professional  commission  for  which  Mr.  Waterhouse  gained  in  open 
competition,  and  thus  established  his  reputation.  It  is  built  of  Darley  Dale  stone.  The 
general  dimensions  of  the  courts  are  256  x  166  ft.  Judges1  lodgings,  98  x  92  ft.  Tower, 
10  ft.  square  on  plan,  and  210  ft.  high.     (See  p.  312.) 

178.  Erected  for  F.  Austen,  Esq.     A  large  and  picturesque  mansion  raised  on  a  terrace   which 

is  vaulted  underneath  with  arches  open  towards  the  front.  The  windows  of  the  principal 
rooms  are  arranged  in  groups,  divided  by  slender  columns  with  richly  carved  capitals,  the 
arches  above  being  decorated  with  voussoirs  of  dark  and  light  coloured  stone,  placed 
alternately,  and  panelled  tympana.     General  dimensions,  160  x  85  ft.     (See  p.  302.) 

179.  Built  of  brick,  faced  with  stone. 

180.  Built  of  brick,  with  sandstone  dressings.     Roofed  with  green  slates.     General  dimensions, 

176  x  69  ft. 

181.  Built  of  flint  and  Tonbridge  stone.    Extreme  length,  140  ft.;  extreme  width,  72  ft.  Tower 

and  spire,  146  ft.  high. 

182.  Built  of  Kentish  rag,  with  Bath   stone  dressings.     Nave,  99  ft.  long  ;  width  across  aisles, 

70  ft.  ;  chancel,  33  x  23  ft.  ;  tower,  20  ft.  square  ;  height  to  top  of  spire,  170  ft. 


402  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


Date 


Building 


Situation 


Architect 


183 


184 


1859-61 


1860-63 


185 

186 
187 

188 

189 

190 
191 


1860-62 

1860-62 
i860 

1860-^62 

1860-61 

1860-61 
1860-61 


192 


193 


194 


195 


196 


197 


Ch.  of  St.  Ann    . 


Ch.  of  the   Holy 
Cross 


Ch.  of  St.  James 

Ch.  of  St.  Luke  . 
Dunster  House     . 

Ch.of  St.  Stephen 

St.  John's  Schools 


The  Library,  Bat- 
tle Abbey 

Svvanley  Church  . 


Stamford  Hill, 
London 


St.  Helen's,   Lan- 
cashire 


Tunbridge  Wells 


T.T.Bury,F.S.A. 


J.  J.  Scolts 


E.  Christian 


Heywood     .         .      J.  Clarke,  F.S.A. 
Rochdale,  Lanca-      J.  Clarke,  F.S.A. 
shire 

Spitalfields,    Lon-  j  E.  Christian 
don 


St.  Pancras, 
London 


Sussex 

Near  Sevenoaks 


1860-61 

1860-61 
1860-63 

1860-64. 

1860-61 
1860-61 


Ch.  of  St.  Mary, 
Haggerston 


Fleetpond  Church 


Probate  and  Epis- 
copal Registries 


Bishopscourt 

Hawkleyhurst 
Llandogo  Church 


Brunswick  Street, 
London,  E. 


Near  Aldershot  .        W.  Binges 


W.  Slater    . 

H.  Clutton  . 
E.  Christian 


Style 


XIV.  century 


Perpendicular 


S.  Brooks 


LlandafF 


Sowton,  near 
Exeter 


Near  Petersfield, 
Hampshire 

Banksof  the  Wye, 
Monmouthshire 


J.  Prichard 

W.White,  F.S.A. 

S.  S.  Teulon 
J.  P.  Seddon 


Geometrical 
Decorated 

XIV.  century 

XV.  century   . 

Early  Deco- 
rated 

Domestic 
Pointed 


XVI.  century 
Decorated 


Decorated 


XIII.  century 


First  Pointed 


First  Pointed 


XIV.  century 

Geometi  ical 

Decorated 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  403 


Remarks 


183.  Erected   for   Fowler   Newsam,  Esq.     Built  of  brick,  faced   with    Kentish   rag,  and  Bath 

stone  dressings.  Length  of  nave  and  aisles,  75  ft.;  breadth  across,  54  ft.  j  apsidal 
chancel,  37  x  23  ft. ;  tower,  18  ft.  square,  and  130  ft.  high. 

184.  Erected  for  the  Order  of  Jesuits.  The  plan  consists  of  a  clerestoried  nave  with  transepts,  aisles, 

chancel,  Lady  Chapel,  sacristy.  Built  of  Rainford  stone  with  red  sandstone  dressings. 
Columns  and  arches  of  Billinge  and  Yorkshire  stone.  The  high  altar  is  of  Caen  stone 
richly  sculptured.  The  windows  are  filled  with  stained  glass  by  Messrs.  Pilkington. 
Panelled  roof.     General  dimensions,  164.  x  90  ft. ;  height  41  ft. 

185.  Built  of  Jackwood  sandstone  and  Wadhurst  stone.     General  dimensions,  118  x  57  ft. 

186.  Designed  to  seat  more  than  1,000  persons  without  galleries. 

187.  Erected  for  F.  Nield,  Esq.     Built  of  brick  and  stone. 

188.  Erected  by  subscription.     Built  of  brick,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.     General  dimensions, 

118  x  66  ft. 

189.  Parish  schools  for  1,000  children.     The  front  towards  John  Street  is  in  three  stories   (de- 

voted respectively  to  boys,  girls,  and  infants).  The  buildings  towards  Kirkman's  Court 
are  arranged  on  three  sides  of  a  quadrangle  enclosing  an  open  playground.  Built  of 
brick,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.     Steep  hipped  roofs  and  ranges  of  mullioned  windows. 

190.  Built  of  local  stone.     General  dimensions,  80  x  24  ft. 

191.  This  church,  which  is  erected  on  a  triangular  piece  of  ground,  presents  the  peculiar  feature 

of  an  apsidal  west  end,  lighted  by  a  double  range  of  windows  (whereof  the  upper  one  is 
arcaded),  and  fitted  up  inside  with  a  gallery.  The  aisles  are  gabled.  The  nave  piers 
are  circular,  raised  on  high  bases.  The  windows  are,  for  the  most  part,  filled  with  plate 
tracery.  Built  of  Kentish  rag,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.  General  dimensions, 
92  x  29  ft. 

192.  In  remodelling  this  church  (which  was  originally  erected  by  Nash  in  a  nondescript  style) 

the  architect  has  introduced  a  novel  feature  in  the  oblique  or  '  canted  '  bay  which 
connects  the  nave  arcade  with  the  reduced  width  of  chancel.  The  alterations  are  exe- 
cuted in  brick.     Nave,  80  x  40  ft.  ;  aisles,  80  x  16  ft. 

193.  Erected  for   C.   Lefroy,    Esq.      Built   of  brick.      General   dimensions  :  nave    and    aisles, 

52  x  38  ft. ;  chancel  30  x  16  ft.  The  west  entrance  is  enriched  with  decorative  sculpture, 
representing  our  Lord  and  the  Evangelistic  symbols. 

194.  The  Probate  Registry  was  erected  for  the  First  Commissioner  of  Works ;  the  Episcopal 

Registry  for  Mr.  Huckwell,  registrar.  Built  of  thin  Pennant  stone,  with  Bath  stone 
groins  and  Bridgend  bands.  Street  frontage  of  Probate  Registry,  70  ft.;  of  Episcopal 
Registry,  35  ft. 

195.  This  work,  executed  for  John  Garratt,  Esq.,  consisted  in  an  entire  remodelling  and  renova- 

tion of  the  ancient  Episcopal  palace  which  had  been  '  modernised. '  The  chapel,  founded 
in  1284.,  had  been  injured  and  desecrated.  Mr.  White  has  used  seven  or  eight  varieties 
of  stone  in  construction. 

196.  Erected  for  James  J.  Maberly,  Esq.     Built  of  local  stone  and  Bath  stone.     Dimensions  of 

main  building,  63  x  48  ft. 

197.  A  small  church  built  of  sandstone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.     It  consists  of  a  nave  and 

aisles  under  one  span  of  roof,  with  an  arcade  of  three  bays  on  either  side,  west  and  south 
porches,  chancel,  and  vestry.  Stone  of  various  tints  is  used  for  the  internal  decoration. 
There  is  a  bell-turret  over  the  west  gable.  The  church  cost  about  1,800/.  General 
dimensions,  80  x  40  ft. 


404         Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


Date 


198 


199 


200 


201 


202 


203 


204 


1860-61 


1860-70 


1860-61 


i860 


t86o 


Building 


Ch.  of  St.  James 
the  Less 


1860-61 


i860 


205 
206 

207 

208 
209 

210 


1860-66 
i860 

1861-70 

1861-70 
1861-62 

1861 


Class-rooms  and 
racket  courts 

Shipley  Hall 


Dewstone  Ch., 
Schools,  and 
Parsonage 

Combe  Abbey 


Ch.  of  St.  Peter 


Digby  Mortuary 
Chapel 


Cottages  and 
Lodges 

The  Village 


Dairy  and  Lodges 


Memorial  Cross  . 

Baptistery,  &c,  St. 
Francis  Church 


Church  of  the 
Holy  Trinity 


Situation 


Garden  Street, 
Westminster 


Rugby  School 
Derby 


Near   Rocester, 
North  Stafford 

Near  Coventry, 
Warwickshire 


Great  Windmill 
Street,  London 


Sherborne,  Dorset 


Crewe  Hall 

Hampton-in- 
Arden 

Croxteth  Park, 
near  Liverpool 

West  Derby,  near 
Liverpool 

Notting  Hill, 
London 


Knightsbridge, 
London 


Architect 


Style 


G.E.  Street,  R.  A.  |  Foreign  Early 

Pointed 


W.  Butteifield 


.      W.  E.  Nesfield    . 


G.  E.  Street,  R.  A. 
W.  E.  Nesfield    . 


R.  Brandon 


W.  Slater 


Early  Deco- 
rated 


Early  Middle 
Pointed 

Partly  Early 
English  and 
partly  XV. 
century 

Early  Decorated 


Early    Pointed 


W.  E.  Nesfield    .      English  XVII. 
century 

Old  English    . 


W.  E.  Nesfield 

W.  E.  Nesfield 
J.  F.  Bentley 

R.  Brandon 


Early  Pointed 


XII.  century 

French  Gothic, 
XIII.  cent. 


Early  Pointed 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  405 


Remarks 


198.  One  of  the  most  original  and    remarkable  churches    in    London.     The  design   is   greatly 

influenced  by  Continental  study,  and  partakes  especially  of  an  Italian  Gothic  character. 
The  nave,  about  60  x  23  ft.,  is  separated  by  an  arcade  of  three  wide  arches  from  its  aisles. 
The  chancel,  36  ft.  long,  ends  in  a  semicircular  apse,  and  is  intercepted  by  gabled  tran- 
septs. The  windows  are  filled  with  plate  tracery,  and  the  walls,  both  externally  and 
internally,  are  decorated  with  brickwork  arranged  in  patterns.  The  most  conspicuous 
feature  of  the  church  is  the  campanile,  which  stands  detached  at  the  north-west  angle. 
The  lowest  stage  of  the  tower  forms  a  porch  connected  with  the  church  by  a  short  gallery. 
(See  p.  322.) 

199.  Bricks  of  various  colours  and  stone  are  used  in  the  construction.     The  school  chapel  is  to 

be  rebuilt  at  once  from  Mr.  Butterfield's  design,  and  at  the  expense  of  old  Rugbeians. 

200.  Erected  for  A.  M.  Mundey,  Esq.     An  ornamental  farm  and  dairy.     General  dimensions, 

700  x  400  ft.  Several  lodges  and  cottages  are  included  in  the  design.  The  ceiling  of 
the  dairy  is  enriched  with  decorative  paintings  by  Mr.  Albert  Moore. 

201.  Erected  at  the  cost  of  Sir  Percival  Heywood,  Bart.     Built  of  stone. 

202.  Seat  of  the  Earl   of  Craven.     Estimated  cost,   58,000/.     The  greater  part  of  the  lower 

portion  is  early  Norman  work,  which  has  been  retained.  The  east  wing,  a  bridge 
over  the  moat,  and  the  offices  are  entirely  new.  The  frontage  is  350  ft.;  courtyard, 
100  ft.  square  ;  side  elevation  about  350  ft.  Built  of  native  red  and  white  sandstone. 
English  oak  used  throughout.     A  portion  of  the  work  has  still  to  be  finished. 

203.  Built  of  Bath  stone.     The  plan  comprises  a  clerestoried  nave  and  aisles  of  5  bays  (with  a 

gallery  in  the  west  bay),  and  a  short  apsidal  chancel.  Nave  piers  circular  with  foliaged 
capitals  of  an  early  French  type.  Braced  open  timber  roof.  The  aisle  roof  rests  on  a 
transverse  stone  arch  in  each  bay.  Apse  of  5  bays  defined  by  an  arch  springing  from 
corbels.  Red  Mansfield  stone  is  used  for  the  small  shafts.  General  dimensions, 
100  x  50   ft.  j  height  from  floor  to  roof  ridge  55  ft.     Tower  and  spire  not  yet  executed.' 

204.  This  chapel  was  built  in  consequence  of  the  Digby  family  vault  having  been  closed.     It  is 

constructed  entirely  of  stone  and  marble.  The  crypt  beneath  the  chapel  is  groined.  The 
chapel  itself  has  a  barrel  vault,  marble  shafts  and  carved  capitals,  tile  mosaic  pavement, 
and  stained  glass  windows.  The  tympanum  of  the  western  doorway  (both  inside  and 
out)  is  decorated  with  sculpture.  The  door  is  of  bronze.  Internal  dimensions,  54.  x  16  ft. 
and  26  ft.  high.     The  crypt  is  54  x  16  ft.,  and  19  ft.  high.     (See  p.  320.) 

205.  Erected  for  Lord  Crewe.     Constructed   of  brick  and   stone      Small  but  picturesque  and 

interesting  examples  of  the  return  to  national  types  of  rural  architecture. 

206.  Twenty-five   cottages   erected    for    Sir    Frederick    Peel    (half  timbered   and  plastered). 

Alterations  to  the  Manor  House  were  subsequently  carried  out  by  the  same  architect. 
The  clock  tower  is  still  in  progress. 

207.  Erected  for  the  Earl  of  Sefton.     Built  of  brick,  stone,  and   marble.     Ceiling  painted  by 

Mr.  Albert  Moore,  who  also  designed  the  figures  which  decorate  the  fountain.  The 
whole  work  is  admirably  conceived,  and  executed  with  great  refinement  and  artistic  skill. 

208.  Erected  for  the   Earl  of  Sefton.     Sculptured  figure  of  our  Lord  under  canopy  on  coupled 

shafts,  elaborately  carved  by  Forsyth. 

209.  This  work  consisted  in  the  erection  of  a  priest's  house,  schools,  baptistery,  &c,  in  connection 

with  the  Church  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi.  It  is  an  excellent  example  of  the  French  Gothic 
School  which  then  prevailed,  though  the  architect  has  since  altered  his  style  of  design. 
(See  p.  321.) 

210.  This  church  is  not  orientated,  but  stands  north  and  south.      It  is  lofty  in  proportion  to  its 

width  and  is  provided  with  a  wooden  clerestory  glazed  from  end  to  end  in  square  com- 
partments. The  main  entrance  is  from  the  street  at  the  south  end  which  is  picturesquely 
treated  and  includes  a  large  window  filled  with  geometrical  tracery. 

E  E 


406         Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


211 


212 


213 

214 
215 


Date 


Building 


1861 


1861-63 

1861-64 

1861-64 
1861-70 


R.  C.  Ch.  of  St. 
Mary 


Beauchamp  Alms- 


Situation 


liou 


ses 


Brecon  College    . 

Town  Hall 
Bulstrode     . 


216 
217 


218 


219 


220 


221 


222 
22   3 

224 
225 


1861-66 
1861-63 


1861-63 


1861-62 


1862-70 


1 862-64 


1862-63 
1862-64 
1862-64 
1862 


Hafodunos  House 
Ch.  of  St.  John    . 


Ch.  of  St.  Paul 


Greenock,  N.B. 


Near  Malvern, 
Worcestershire 


Near  Brecon 


Northampton 

Nr.  Gerrard's  Cross, 
Buckinghamshire 


Near  Llanrwst 
Burgess  Hill,  Sussex 


Wokingham, 
Berks 


Architect 


G.  Goldie 


Style 


Early  Decorated 


P.   C.  Hardwick,      Middle  Pointed 
F.S.A. 


Ch.  of  St.  Martin,    ■'  Scarborough 
on-the-Hili 


Cloverley  Hall     . 


Ch.  of  St.  Wilfrid 
(Pro-Cathedral) 


Ch.  of  St. Thomas, 

Agar  Town 
Bestwood     . 

Mansion     ". 


St.  Pancras, 

London 
Nottinghamshire 

Framingham, 

Norfolk 

Crown  Life  Office      188  Fleet  Street, 

London 


Whitchurch,  Salop 


York 


J.  Prichard 


E.  W.  Godwin, 
F.S.A. 

B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 


G.  G.Scott,  R. A. 
T.T.  Bury,  F.S.A 


H.  Woodyer 
G.  F.  Bodley 


W.  E.  Nesfield    . 


G.  Goldie   . 


First  Pointed 

Geometrical 
Tudor    . 


Middle  Pointed 
Third  Pointed 


Late  Middle 
Pointed 

Early  Pointed 


Late  XVI. 
century 


,      Geometrical 
Decorated 


S.  S.  Teulon 
S.  S.  Teulon 
J.  Norton  . 
T.  N.  Deane 


Geometrical    . 
XIV.  century 
Late  Pointed    . 

Italian  Gothic 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  407 


Remarks 


on 


211.  One  of  the  largest  Roman  Catholic  Churches  in  Scotland,  erected  for  the  Rev.  W.  Gord- 

on the  Frith  ot  Clyde.  Adjoining  is  a  commodious  presbytery  (in  the  same  style  as  the 
church)  adapted  to  domestic  requisites.  The  general  character  of  this  church  is  simple 
but  dignified.  Total  length,  120  ft. ;  nave  and  aisles,  60  ft.  v/ide  ;  internal  height,  60  ft. 
Built  of  local  stone  with  Glasgow  freestone  ashlar  and  red  Dumbarton  sandstone  in  parts. 

212.  These  buildings,  constructed  of  brick,  with  stone  dressings,  form  three  sides  of  a  quadrangle, 

open  to  the  south,  and  consist  of  apartments  for  eight  families,  eight  single  men,  and  eight 
single  women  (each  having  their  separate  offices),  residences  for  the  chaplain,  matron,  and 
clerk.  The  chapel  has  since  become  the  parish  church  of  Newland.  General  dimensions, 
320  x170  ft.     Cost  about  60,000/. 

213.  Erected  for  the  Governors  of  the  College.     Not  quite  completed.     North  and  south  eleva- 

tions, each  75  ft.  long;  east  and  west  elevations,  64  ft.  Built  of  native  old  red  sand- 
stone, with  Bath  stone  dressings. 

214.  Frontage,  90  ft. ;   180  ft.  deep  ;  height  to  ridge  of  roof,  63  ft.  ;  height  to  top  of  tower,  1 10  ft. 

(See  p.  358.) 

215.  This  mansion,  erected  for  the   Duke  of  Somerset,  occupies  the  site  of  one  commenced  by 

the  late  Duke  of  Portland,  from  designs  by  Mr.  J.  Wyatt,  and  subsequently  modified 
under  the  supervision  of  Sir  J.  Wyattville,  but  abandoned  by  the  Duke  owing  to  the 
enormous  cost  which  the  completion  of  the  structure  would  entail.  It  is  built  of  red 
brick  and  Bath  stone.     The  mansion  occupies  about  140  x  100  ft.  in  plan. 

216.  Erected  for  H.  R.  Sandbach,  Esq.,  at  a  cost  of  30,000/.     It  is  built  of  brick. 

217.  Built  of  brick,  faced  with  the  same  arranged  in  patterns  of  varied  colour  and  design.     Bath 

stone  dressings.  Nave  and  aisle,  82x39  ft.  ;  chancel,  30  x  24  ft. ;  transepts,  25  x  24  ft. 
The  tower  is  16  ft.  square,  surmounted  by  a  timber-framed  spire,  covered  with  bands  of 
different  coloured  tiles.     Its  entire  length  is  104  ft. 

218.  Erected  for  John  Walter,  Esq.,  M.P.     Lofty  nave  with  clerestory  and  low  aisles.     Tran- 

septs, chancel,  tower  and  stone  spire  at  north-west  angle.     General  dimensions  :  leno-th 
135  ft.  ;  width,  63  ft.  ;  height  to  top  of  spire,  150  ft. 

219.  '  An  excellent  design.     The  plan  shows  a  nave  94.  x  26  ft.,  a  chancel  30  x  23  ft.,  aisles  to 

the  nave,  half  aisles  to  the  chancel,  and  a  sacristy  at  the  east  end  of  the  south  chancel  aisle. 
The  nave  has  4  bays  besides  an  additional  one  to  the  west,  which  is  treated  as  a  narthex 
and  has  the  tower  engaged  at  its  north  end  .  .  .  The  specialty  of  the  church  is  its  unusual 
height  ;  the  aisles  are  low,  but  the  clerestory  extremely  lofty  and  well  developed.  The  piers 
of  the  arcade  are  clustered  shafts  :  the  arches  are  well  moulded.'     ('  Ecclesiologist,'  18  61.) 

220.  Erected  for  J .  P.  Heywood,  Esq.,  of  Liverpool,  at  a  cost  of  60,000/.,  exclusive  of  decoration. 

This  large  and  magnificent  mansion  is  one  of  the  architect's  most  important  works,  and 
is  thoroughly  characteristic  of  his  taste.  It  is  built  of  brick,  local  stone,  and  English  oak. 
General  dimensions,  inclusive  of  courtyard  and  offices,  about  450  x  400  ft.     (See  p.  339.) 

221.  One  of  the  most  perfectly  finished  Roman  Catholic  churches  in  England.     Rich  in  sculp- 

ture, stained  glass,  and  fittings.  The  great  western  doorway,  resembling  the  portails  of 
Continental  churches,  measures  23  ft.  across  its  jambs  by  6  ft.  deep.  Carved  oak  stalls. 
Built  of  Whitby  sandstone  (for  ashlar  work)  and  Bradford  wall  stone.  Shafts  of 
Carlisle  red  sandstone.  Length,  no  ft. ;  width,  59  ft. ;  internal  height,  62  ft.  A  view  of 
the  interior  appeared  in  the  '  Illustrated  London  News.'     Cost  15,000/. 

222.  Erected  for  the  present  Dean  of  Rochester.     A   brick  building  with  plate  tracery  of  stone 

in  the  windows.     Internal  length,  122  ft.  ;  width  of  nave,  48"  ft. 

223.  Elected  for  the   Duke  of  St.  Alban's.     Built  of  red  brick   and    Mansfield   stone.     Plan 

dimensions  about  113  x  100  ft. 

224.  Erected  for   Geo.   H.   Christie,  Esq.     Built   of  brick,    terra   cotta,  and    Ancaster    stone. 

Roofed  with  green  slate.     General  dimensions,  117  x104  ft. 

225.  An  interesting  and  well  studied  example  of  street  architecture.     Cost  15,000/. 

E   E   2 


408  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

226 

1862-64. 

Brent  Knoll 

Somerset 

J.  Norton     . 

Late  Pointed    . 

227 

1862 

Brightwaltham 
Church 

Near  Wantage, 
Berks 

G.  E.Street,  R.A. 

Early  Pointed 

228 

1862-64 

Manor  house 

Chew  Magna, 
Somerset 

J.  Norton    . 

Late  Pointed    . 

229 

1862-63 

House  of  Charity 

Rose  Street,  Soho 

J.  Clarke,  F.S.A. 

French    XIV 
century 

230 

1862-67 

The  Town  Hall  . 

Preston,    Lanca- 
shire 

G.G.Scott,  R.A. 

Domestic  Pointed 

231 

1862-63 

Ch.  of  St.  Stephen 

Guernsey     . 

G.  F.  Bodley 

Early  Pointed  . 

232 
233 

1863-65 
1863-66 

Stable  buildings, 
Newstead  Abbey 

Tyntesfield . 

Nottinghamshire  . 
Somerset      . 

Hadfield  and  Son 
J.  Norton    . 

Geometrical 
Decora*  ed 

Late  Pointed    . 

234 

1863-65 

Christ  Church 

Appleton-le-Moors, 
near  Yorkshire 

J.  L.  Pearson, 
F.S.A. 

XIII.  century 

235 

1863-65 

Ch   of  St.  Wilfrid 

Hayward's  Heath, 
Sussex 

G.  F.  Bodley       . 

Geometrical 
Pointed 

236 

1863 

Benedictine  Abbey 
of  St.  Scholastica 

Ttignmouth, 
S.  Devon 

G.  Goldie    . 

XIII.  century 
Domestic 

237 

1863-65 

R.  C.  Ch   of  St. 

Mary,    Presby- 
tery and  school 

East  Hendred, 
Berkshire 

C.  A.  Buckler      . 

XIII.  century  . 

erected  between   1820  and  1870.  409 


Remarks 


226 
227 


228. 


Erected  for  Gabriel  S.  Poole,  Esq.  Built  of  limestone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.  Roofed 
with  Bridgewater  tiles.      General  dimensions,  100x45  ft. 

The  plan  consists  of  a  nave,  chancel,  and  north  aisle,  with  a  baptistery  under  the  south-west 
tower,  which  is  surmounted  by  a  spire.  The  interior  is  lofty,  and  of  excellent  proportions. 
The  floor  is  paved  with  encaustic  tiles.  The  east  window,  of  3  lights,  is  a  memorial  of 
the  late  P.  Wroughton,  Esq.,  of  Wooley  Park.  Beneath  the  window  is  a  reredos  of  ala- 
baster finely  designed  and  executed.     (See  p.  323.) 

Erected  for  W.  Adlam,  Esq.  Built  of  local  sandstone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.  General 
dimensions,  80  x  75  ft.     (See  the  '  Building  News  '  of  this  date.) 

229.  Designed  with   eastern  apse  and  same  north  and  south,  being  part  of  a  general    scheme  for 

rebuilding  the  House  of  Charity.  Built  of  various  kinds  of  stone ;  walls  lined  inside 
with  chalk. 

230.  One  of  Mr.  Scott's  most  important  works.     Built  of  Longridge  stone  ;  columns  of  polished 

granite  ;  north  front,  92  x  74  ft.  j  south  front,  92  x  86  ft. ;  music  hall,  82  x  55  ft.j  height 
of  tower  197  ft. 

231.  Built  to  seat  750  persons.     In  plan  it  is  an  exact  rectangle  subdivided  into  a  nave  of  84  x 

27  ft.,  opening  by  arcades  of  5  into  north  and  south  aisles,  12   ft.  broad,  and  a  chancel 

28  ft.  long,  with  chancel  aisles — that  to  the  south  being  used  as  an  organ  chamber  and 
sacristry.  The  church  is  built  of  granite,  and  the  mouldings,  &c,  are  of  the  simplest 
kind. 

232.  Erected  on  the  old  site  near  the  Abbey,  for  F.  W.  Webb,  Esq.,  to  accommodate  twenty- 

five  horses.     Court,  100  x  95  ft.     Built  of  local  stone. 

233.  A  large   and  costly   mansion,  erected   for  Wm.  Gibbs,  Esq.  (through  whose   munificence 

several  churches  have  been  erected  and  endowed).  Built  of  local  stone,  faced  with 
oolite  from  the  Bath  quarries,  and  roofed  with  Broseley  tiles.  (See  the  '  Builder  *  of 
this  date.) 

234.  Treated  in  the  same  manner  as  Scorboro'  and  Daylesford   Churches,  except  that  coloured 

sandstone  and  limestone  are  used  instead  of  marble.  Clerestory  wall  enriched  with  inlay 
of  geometrical  patterns.  Semicircular  apse  lighted  by  lancet  windows,  high  up  in  the 
wall,  with  detached  arcading  inside.  Tower  stands  at  east  of  north  aisle,  and  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  lofty  square  spire.  Narthex  at  west  end,  with  sloping  stone  roof.  Gable 
above  lighted  by  large  rose  window.     (See  p.  303.) 

235.  A  very  ably  treated  work.     '  The  plan  comprises   a   clerestoried  nave   and  aisles,  with    a 

chancel,  over  the  western  part  of  which  stands  a  massive  quadrangular  tower,  having  a 
vestry  under  a  lean-to  roof  on  its  north  side.  The  tower,  which  is  considerably  broader 
from  north  to  south  than  from  east  to  west,  is  an  excellent  composition,  with  a  large 
belfry  stage,  having  three  contiguous  and  deeply  recessed  lights  on  each  face,  and" a 
saddle-back  roof  above  a  plain  parapet.'     ('  Ecclesiologist,'  1864.) 

236.  A  very  extensive  monastic  establishment,  picturesquely  situated,  and  overlooking  the  sea. 

The  plan  includes  the  usual  apartments  of  a  convent,  viz. :  a  refectory,  chapter-house, 
community-room,  infirmary,  &c. ;  spacious  accommodation  for  lady  pensioners,  consisting 
of  class-rooms,  refectory,  and  dormitory;  conventual  church  with  choir  and  side  chapels, 
apsidal  sanctuary  and  bell-turret,  and  chaplain's  residence.  Chief  facade,  about  96  ft. 
long;  wing,  no  ft.  long;  average  height  of  front,  35  ft.  Built  of  Bath  stone  and  local 
grey  marble,  with  red  sandstone  shafts  and  bands. 

237.  Erected  for   C.  J.  Eyston,  Esq.,  and  the  Rev.  T.   Luck.     The  plan  consists  of  a   well- 

proportioned  chancel  with  an  oak  rood-screen,  and  a  sacristy  on  south  side  communicating 
with  the  presbytery.  The  nave  opens  by  three  graceful  arches  into  a  north  aisle.  The 
baptistery  is  in  the  south-west  angle  of  the  nave  enclosed  by  a  screen.  An  octagonal 
belfry  rises  at  the  angle  formed  by  the  nave  and  sacristy.  The  chureli  is  built  of  Drayton 
and  Box  Hill  stone  ;  the  presbytery,  school,  and  teacher's  residence  are  of  red  brick,  with 
stone  dressings. 


410  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


238 

239 
240 
241 


242 

243 
244 
245 


Date  Building 


1863 

1863-68 

1863-66 

1863 


1863-70 

1863 
1863 
1863 


Merton  College, 
new  rooms 

Melchet  Court 

The  Infirmary 

The  ■  Albert 
Memorial ' 


Situation 


Oxford 

Hampshire  . 

Leeds,  Yorkshire 

Hyde  Park,  Lon- 
don 


Surrey  County 
Schools 


Church  of  St.  Paul 
All  Saints' Church 
Church  of  St.  Peter 


246 


247 


248 


249 


1863 
1863-64 
1864.-66 
1 8  64.-6  5 


Cranleigh,  near 
Guildford 


Langleybury 
Clifton,  Bristol     . 


Architect 


Style 


W.  Butterfield     . 

H.  Clutton 
G.G.  Scott,  R.A. 
G.  G.Scott,  R. A. 


H.  Woodyer 

H.  Woodyer 

G.  E.  Street,  R.A 


Middle  Pointed 

XVI.   century 
Venetian  Gothic 
Italian  Gothic 


Vauxhall,  London  I  J.L.Pearson,F.SA. 


Royal  Hants  Cty.      Winchester. 
Hospital 


250 

251 
252 


1864 

1864-66 
1864 


Ch.  of  All  Saints 


Town  Hall. 


Lodging-house, 
and  schools 


Ch.  of  St.  Richard 


Ch.  of  St.  Mark 


Pcnarth  Church 


Cambridge 


Congleton,    Che- 
shire 


St.  Ann's  Court, 
Wardour  St., 
London 


Slindon,  Sussex    . 


New     Brompton, 
Chatham 

Near  Cardiff,  Gla- 
morganshire 


Middle  Pointed 
and  Early 
Pointed 

Middle  Pointed 


Early  Middle 
Pointed 

Early  XIII. 
century 


W.  Butterfield 


G.  F.  Bodley 


E.  W.  Godwin, 
F.S.A. 

W.  Burges  . 


C   A.  Buckler     . 


J.  P.  St.  Aubyn  .      First  Pointed  . 


Decorated 


Early  Pointed 


Geometrical 
Pointed 

XIII.  century 


XIII.  century . 


W.  Butterfield 


Early  Decorated 


erected  between   1820  and  1870.  411 

Remarks 

238.  A  simply  designed  but  characteristic  work.     (See  p.  287.) 

239.  A  large  mansion,  erected  for  the  Earl  of  Ashburton.     Built  of  brick,  with  stone  dressings. 

240.  Built  of  brick  and  stone.     General  dimensions,  415  x  315  ft. 

221.  A  rich  and  costly  work  erected  by  national  subscription,  but  not  yet  completed.  Sicilian 
marble,  granite,  mosaic  work,  enamelled  stones,  and  gun  metal  with  profuse  gilding,  are 
used  in  its  construction  and  decoration.  A  colossal  statue  of  the  late  Prince  Consort  will 
occupy  a  central  position  under  the  canopy,  and  four  groups  of  sculpture  emblematical  of 
the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  are  to  be  placed  at  each  angle  of  the  base.  Total  height 
of  the  monument,  175  ft.;  base  about  70  ft.  square. 

242.  Constructed  of  red  and  black  bricks,  with  Bath  and  red  Mansfield  stone,  coloured  marbles, 

&c.  This  building  will  accommodate  330  boys  and  a  staff  of  masters.  Frontage,  350  ft. ; 
depth,  90  ft.;  hall,  100  x  30  ft. 5  chapel,  no  x  70  ft. 

243.  Built  of  squared  black  flint  and  Bath  stone.     Spire  of  shingled  oak.    Length,  120  ft.;  width, 
'    50  tt. ;   nave,  40  ft.  high  ;  height  of  spire,  130  ft. 

244.  Built  of  local  stone,  Bath  and  Pennant  stone.     Works  still  in  progress.     At  present  the 

chancel,  the  chancel  aisles,  vestries,  choir,  and  practising  room  are  completed. 

245.  Built  of  brick  and  Bath  stone.     This  church  is  one  of  the  few  modern  ones  that  have  been 

groined  throughout.  All  the  groining  (except  the  ribs)  is  in  brickwork.  The  plan 
consists  of  a  nave  and  aisles,  large  chancel  with  chancel  aisles,  and  an  additional  large 
aisle  added  on  the  north  side  of  the  nave.  The  interior  effect  is  very  striking.  The  chancel 
wall  decorated  with  figure  subjects.  The  altar  is  detached  from  the  east  wall,  and  is  rich 
in  material  and  workmanship.  Nave,  78  x  24  ft.;  chancel,  42  x  23  ft.;  height  of  nave  to 
groining,  47  ft.  The  design  includes  a  tower  and  spire  (220  ft.  high)  to  be  erected  on 
the  north  side  of  the  nave. 

246.  In  this  building  many  modern  features,  such  as  sash  windows,  &c,  are  introduced.     Con- 

structed of  brick  and  Bath  stone.  Ov\  ing  to  the  site  of  this  building  (on  the  side  of  a  hill), 
it  presents  one  more  story  on  the  south  or  garden  front  than  on  the  north  or  road  front. 

247.  This  church  is  an  example  of  the  architect's  design  after  his  return  to  strictly  English  types 

of  Gothic,  from  which  in  his  earlier  works  he  had  considerably  departed.  It  is  described 
at  length  in  the  •  Ecclesiologist '  of  1863. 

248.  An  excellent  example  of  secular  Gothic.     Built  of  local  stone  and  brick.     General  dimen- 

sions :  144  x  71  ft. ;  height  to  ridge  of  roof,  54  ft.  ;  height  to  top  of  tower,  109  ft.  (See 
P-  354) 

249.  Built  of  brick   and  stone.     The   ground  floor  of  this  building  is  a  school-room,  and  the 

walls  of  the  rooms  above  (ten  on  each  floor)  are  carried  on  arches.  A  simple  but  well- 
proportioned  and  judicious  design,  admirably  adapted  for  its  homely  purpose.  The 
fenestration  of  the  lowest  story  is  original  and  effective.  The  two  central  arches  of  this 
building,  from  the  ground  level  to  the  top  story,  are  left  open  and  unglazed  to  light  a 
stone  staircase.     The  result  is  very  picturesque. 

250.  Erected  for  the  Earl  of  Newburgh.     The  plan  comprises  a  nave  (62  x  23  ft.),  chancel  and 

sacristry,  north  porch  and  south  aisle  of  4  bays.  Built  of  red  brick,  faced  with  flint  and 
dressings  of  Box  Hill  stone.  The  roof  of  the  school  is  of  oak,  the  principals  being 
copied  from  the  remains  of  an  ancient  structure. 

251.  Erected  for  the   Rev.   R.    Willis.      Built  of  brick,  with   Bath  stone  dressings.      Nave, 

85  x  26  ft.  ;  aisles,  85  x  13  ft.  ;  chancel,  39  x  24  ft.     The  steeple  is   not  yet  erected. 

252.  Erected  for  the  Baroness  Windsor.     Built  of  various  local  stones. 


412  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


253 


Date 


1864 


Building 


i54       1864.-66 

255  186+-66 

256  1864.-66 


257 
258 


259 


1865-67 
1865-67 


University  College 
of  Wales 


Ch.   of  St.   John 
the  Evangelist 

Beckett's  Bank    . 
Bank  and  offices  . 


VineyHill  . 

Freeland   Church 
and  Parsonage 


1865-68 


260      1865-67 


261 
262 


263 
264 


1865-68 
1865-66 


1865-67 
1865-68 


Ch.  of  St. 


Ch.  of  St.  Mary 


Ch.of  St. 


Ch.  of  St.  Saviour 


Situation 


Architect 


Style 


Aberystwith, 
South  Wales 


Middlesbro'-on- 
Tees 

Leeds,  Yorkshire 

Lombard  Street, 
London,  E.C. 

Near  Sydney, 
Gloucestershire 

Near  Oxford 


J.  P.  Seddon 

J.  Norton    . 

G.  G  Scott,  R.  A. 

A.  Watei house    . 

E.  Christian 
J.  L.  Pearson,F.S.  A, 


Tavistock,  Devon 


Chapel  and  cloister 
of  Convent 

Ch.  of  St.   David 


Geometrical 
Decorated 


Geometrical   . 
Venetian  Gothic 

XIII.  century 

Early  English 

Early  XIII.  & 

XIV.  centuries 


H.  Clutton. 


IXIII.  [century 


Chetwynde,    near 
Newport,  Salop 


Woburn,  Bedfoid- 
shire 

Aberdeen  Park, 
Highbury, 
London 


Mount     Pleasant, 
Liverpool 

Neath,  S.  Wales  . 


B.  Ferrey,  F.S.A. 


H.  Clutton  . 


Geometrical ' 
Decorated 


XIII.  century 


W.  White, F.S.A.  Early  Middle 
Pointed 


Hadfield  and  Son 


J.  Norton 


Early  Pointed 
First  Pointed 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  413 


Remarks 


253. 


This  large  and  important  building  was  originally  commenced  as  an  hotel  for  T.  Savin,  Esq., 
but  has  been  since  sold  to  the  promoters  of  the  proposed  College.  It  is  built  of  sand- 
stone (yellowish-drab  colour),  with  Combe  Down  and  Bath  stone  dressings.  The  frontage 
is  about  440  ft.  ;  the  average  depth,  75  ft.  Cost  about  100,000/.  It  is  still  unfinished. 
(See  p.  360.) 

254.  Built  of  red  brick,  with  Brotton  sandstone  dressings ;  roofed  with  Bangor  slates.     General 

dimensions,  140  x  85  ft. 

255.  Erected  for  Messrs.  Beckett  and  Denison,  at  a  cost  of  33,000/.     Built  of  brick  and  stone. 

Plan  dimensions,  about  120  x  120  ft. 

256.  Erected  for  Messrs.  Alexander,  Cunlifte,  and  Co.     Built  of  Portland  stone,  with  red  granite 

shafts.     Lombard  Street  frontage,  29  ft. ;  Clement's  Lane  frontage,  63  ft.    (See  'Building 
News  '  for  September  1,  1865.) 

257.  Erected  for  the   Rev.  W.  H.  Bathurst.     Built  of  local  red  sandstone   with  deal  fittings. 

General  dimensions,  86  x  60  ft. 

258.  Erected  for  the  Raikes  and  Taunton  families.     The  plan  of  the  church  consists  of  nave  and 

chancel,  with  par<vise  over.  Tower  and  vestry  on  north  side  of  chancel,  which  is  groined 
in  stone,  and  has  an  apsidal  end  and  painted  walls.  A  band  of  figure  subjects,  3  ft. 
high,  is  carried  all  round.  Below  this  is  a  rich  diapered  pattern,  and  above  is  another 
band  of  figures  extending  to  the  window  jambs.  These  are  for  the  most  part  treated 
in  outline.  An  alabaster  reredos,  detached  from  east  wall,  contains  a  low  relief  sculpture 
of  the  Crucifixion  with  angels  on  each  side  bearing  emblems.  There  is  a  metal  rood 
screen.  Nave,  44x21  ft.  and  29  ft.  high  ;  chancel,  33  x  15  ft.  and  22  ft.  high.  Built 
of  local  stone  for  walls,  with  Bath  stone  for  dressings  and  interior. 
The  parsonage  is  built  of  brick  and  stone,  with  open  timber  work.  It  communicates  with 
the  church  by  a  corridor  on  the  north  side. 

259.  A  large  church,  built  of  local  stone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.     Very  simple  in  its  general 

design,  but  with  many  peculiarities  of  detail.  The  nave  arcade  consists  of  obtusely 
pointed  arches,  slightly  stilted,  and  carried  on  piers,  resembling  in  plan  the  intersection  of 
two  cylinders.  The  chancel  walls  are  arcuated  to  a  height  of  about  10  ft.  from  the 
floor,  to  a  cornice  from  which  a  ceiled  roof  springs.  The  nave  roof  is  open  timbered, 
with  tie-beams.  The  pulpit  is  of  stone,  circular,  enriched  with  diapered  carving,  raised 
on  a  single  marble  column,  and  reached  by  a  long  flight  of  steps.  Externally,  the  tower, 
with  its  louvred  windows  and  square  spire,  forms  a  striking  feature.  It  stands  apart  from 
the  main  body  of  the  church. 

260.  Erected  for  Burton  Borough,  Esq.     Built  of  local  stone,  Broxby  tiles,  and   Devonshire 

marbles.  Nave  and  south  aisle,  57  x  33  ft.  ;  chancel,  31  x  19  ft.  j  tower  and  spire  of 
north-east  angle,  100  ft.  high.  The  late  Archbishop  of  Dublin  (Dr.  Whately)  was  for- 
merly rector.     (See  p.  220.) 

261.  Finely  groined  throughout.     Beneath  the  chancel  is  a  crypt   (52  x  24  ft.)  to  be  used  as 

the  family  vault  for  the  Dukes  of  Bedford.     Built  of  Chepsham  and  Bath  stones. 

262.  Cruciform  plan  :  lofty  clerestory  and  central  lantern.     Built  of  red  and  buff-coloured  bricks, 

with  a  little  stone  in  the  tracery,  &c.  The  interior  is  decorated  with  bricks,  arranged  in 
patterns.  Nave  arcade  of  3  bays,  two  wide  and  one  narrow.  Piers  of  brick  moulded 
at  angles,  and  crowned  with  capitals  of  peculiar  form.  The  tower  is  central,  and  carried 
up  square  to  a  height  of  15  or  20  feet  above  chancel  arch,  and  then  becomes  octagonal. 
The  easternmost  part  of  the  chancel  is  groined.  Dimensions:  105  x  50  ft.,  and  55  ft. 
high. 

253.  Erected  for  the  Community  of  Sisters  of  Notre-Dame.     Built  of  brick  arid  stone.     Vaulted 
internally.     Chapel,  90  x  30  ft.  and  39  ft.  high.     (See  p.  350.) 

264.  Built  of  local  Pennant,  with  Bath  stone  dressings,  lined  with  brick.     Tiled  roof.     General 
dimensions,  156  *  97  ft. 


414  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

265 

1865-66 

Ch.  of  St.  Saviour 

Eastbourne, 
Sussex 

266 
267 

1865-67 
1865-69 

Cambridge  Union 
Society 

Emmanuel  Ch.     . 

Cambridge  , 
Clifton,  Bristol    . 

268 

1865 

Cathedral  of  St. 
Finbar 

Cork,  Ireland 

269 

1865 

Font  Hill  Church 

Wiltshire    . 

270 

1865-68 

Hutton  Hall 

Near  Guisboro', 
Yorkshire 

271 

1865-67 

Ch.  of  St.  Saviour 

Hoxton,  London 

272 

1865-67 

Ch.  of  St.  Salvador 

Dundee 

273 

1866-68 

Holy  Trinity 
Church 

Bingley,  near 
Leeds 

274 

1866-67 

Ch.  of  St.  Michael 

Shoreditch,  London 

275 

1866-69 

International  Col- 
lege 

Spring  Grove, 
Isleworth 

276 

1866-70 

All    Saints'    Hos- 
pital 

Eastbourne,  Sussex 

277 

1866-68 

New  University 
Club 

St.  James's  Street, 
London 

Architect 


G.  E.  Street,  R.A. 
A.  Waterhouse   . 
J.  Norton    . 
W.  Bulges . 


Style 


T.  H.  Wyatt  . 
A.  Waterhouse  . 
J.  Brooks     . 


G.  F.  Bodley 


R.  N.  Shaw 


J.  Brooks    . 


J.  Norton  and  P. 
E.  Masey 

H.  Woodyer 


A.  Waterhouse 


Early  Middle 
Pointed 

XIII.  century 
First  Pointed  . 


XIII.  century 
French 


Early  English 
Early  Domestic 
Early  Pointed 


Geometrical 
Middle 
Pointed 

Early   Pointed 
French 


Early   Pointed 


XIV.  century 


Middle  Pointed 


XIII.  century 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  415 


Remarks 


265.  Built  of  red  brick.     Eastern  part  groined  in  brick  and  stone.     Steeple  and  decorations  still 

in  progress. 

266.  Built  of   red  brick  with    Casterton  stone  dressings.     General   dimensions  :    140  x  90   ft.  ; 

debating-room,  60  x  30  ft.     Described  in  the  '  Times  '  of  October  31,  1866. 

267.  Built  of  local   sandstone   with  Bath  stone  dressings.     Roofed  with  green  slates.     General 

dimensions,  147  x  96  ft. 

268.  This  is  one  of  the  architect's  most  important  works,  but,    unfortunately,  much   of  the 

building  remains  still  unfinished.  Among  the  more  striking  features  of  the  cathedral  is 
the  west  front  with  its  three  portals  and  rose  window,  round  which  will  be  placed  emblems 
of  the  four  Evangelists  nobly  carved.  The  transept  door  is  enriched  with  sculpture. 
The  cathedral  has  a  triforium  gallery.  The  design,  when  completed,  will  include  towers 
and  spires  at  the  west  end,  and  one  over  the  centre  at  the  crux,  where  the  piers  con- 
structed to  carry  it  are  7  ft.  6  in.  square.  The  plan  consists  of  a  nave,  choir,  ambulatory, 
and  ai>les.  Length,  162  ft.  ;  height  from  floor  to  roof,  68  it.  Built  of  limestone, 
Stourton  (for  piers),  and  Bath  stone  dressings.     (See  p.  354.) 

269.  Erected  for  the   Marquis  of  Westminster.     Nave,  transepts,  and  aspidal  chancel.     Tower 

and  spire  at  south-east. 

270.  Erected  for  J.  W.  Pease,   Esq.,   M.P.     Built  of  red  brick,  with  Gatherley   Moor   stone 

dressings.     General  dimensions,  150  x  120  ft. ;  stables,  102  x  100  ft. 

271.  In  this  church  the  nave  and  chancel  (which  is  aspidal)  are  of  the  same  height,  and  covered 

by  one  continuous  roof,  and  both  are  lighted  by  a  series  of  plain  lancet  windows  in  the 
clerestory.  The  lower  part  of  the  chancel  is  enriched  by  mural  arcuation,  the  arches 
being  trefoil-headed,  and  surmounted  by  gablets.  Open  roof  over  nave  with  semicircular 
ribs  and  tie-beams,  ceiled  roof  over  chancel.  The  capitals  of  nave  arcade  are  left  un- 
carved,  except  those  at  junction  of  nave  and  chancel,  where  the  character  of  the  carving  is 
excellent. 

272.  A  very  originally  designed  church.     The   plan  includes  a  long  and  broad  nave,  with  low 

arcades  of  seven,  and  very  narrow  aisles,  a  spacious  chancel  aisled  on  the  south  side,  and 
a  western  narthex.  The  church  is  very  lofty,  and  effectively  proportioned.  On  the  east 
gable  of  the  nave  roof  there  is  a  picturesque  bell  turret. 

273.  Built  of  a  common  but  beautifully  coloured  walling  stone.     The  plan  consists  of  a  nave, 

aisles,  large  west  porch,  chancel,  chancel  aisles,  and  vestry.  Tower  and  spire  (not  yet 
built)  are  to  rise  over  west  portion  of  chancel.  All  the  walls  are  very  substantial,  varying 
from  3  ft.  to  7  ft.  6  in.  in  thickness.  Rather  lofty  clerestory.  Alabaster  and  gold 
mosaic  reredos.  Organ  in  black  case  with  polished  metal  pipes.  Oak  chancel  fittings. 
Nave,  70  x  29  ft.  ;  chancel,  37  x  20  ft.  j  nave,  about  50  ft.  high. 

274.  The  plan  of  this  church  consists  of  a  chancel  with  transeptal  chapels,  a  nave  and  aisles,  with 

south  porch,  and  a  narthex  or  west  corridor.  The  windows  are  filled  with  plate  tracery. 
Horizontal  courses,  and  patterns  of  coloured  brickwork,  are  judiciously  introduced  as  a 
means  of  decoration.     The  interior  is  spacious  and  lofty. 

275.  Erected  for  the  International  Education  Society.     Built  of  brick,  with  Bath  stone  dressings. 

Roofed  with  green  and  blue  slates.  Dimensions  of  centre  and  one  wing  completed, 
200  x  130  ft.     (See  the  '  Illustrated  London  News,'  «  Builder,'  and  «  Building  News.') 

276.  Erected  for  the  Sisterhood  of  All  Saints',  Margaret  Street,  London,  and  consists  of  a  home 

and  hospital  which  will  contain  about  300  inmates.  Built  of  red  brick  and  Bath  stone. 
Length  of  building,  348  ft.,  covering  an  area  of  73,000  sq.  ft.     (See  p.  331.) 

277.  The  first  London  club  erected  of  a  Mediaeval  character  in  design,  and  presenting  a  marked 

contrast  to  the  adjacent  buildings.  Portland  stone  front.  Fire-proof  floor-,  the 
construction  of  which  is  left  visible.  An  engraving  of  this  design  appeared  in  the 
'Builder'  of  May  16,  1868. 


416  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

278 

1866 

Ch.  &  Parsonage 

Chigwell  Row, 
Sussex 

J.  P.  Seddon 

Geometrical 
Decorated 

279 

1866 

Trinity  Church   . 

West  Cliff, 
Folkestone 

E.  Christian 

Early  English 

280 

1866 

Warehouse 

Upper  Thames  St., 
London,  E.C. 

W.  B urges 

XIII.  century 

281 

1866-67 

Buxted  Hall 

Uckfield,  Sussex 

J.  F.  Bentley       . 

Tudor    . 

282 

1866-71 

College  Buildings 

University  College, 
Glasgow 

G.  G.  Scott,  R.A. 

Early  Deco- 
rated 

283 

1866-71 

Midland  Railway 
Terminus  and 
Hotel 

St.  Pancras, 
London 

G.  G.  Scott,  R.A. 

Venetian  Gothic 

284 

1867-70 

New    Buildings, 
Christchurch 

Oxford 

T.  N.  Deane 

Early  Pointed 

285 

1867-70 

Ch.of  St.  Andrew 

Plaistow,  Essex    . 

J.  Crooks    . 

Early  Pointed 

286 

1867-70 

The  Clarendon 
Laboratory 

Oxford 

T.  N.  Deane 

Early  Pointed 

287 

1867-70 

Hume  wood 

Wicklow,  Ireland 

W.White,  F.S.A. 

Baronial 
Gothic 

288 

1867 

Ch.of  St.  Michael 

Lowfield'Heath, 
near  Horlty, 
Surrey 

W.  Burges  . 

XIII.  century 

289 

1867 

R.C.  Ch.of  St.  Mary 
(Pro-Cathedral) 

Kensington,  Lon- 
don 

G.  Goldie    . 

Geometrical 
Decorated 

L 

erected  between   1820  and  1870.  417 


Remarks 


278.  Erected    for    the    Rev.    T.   Lawrence.     Church,    1-50x60   ft.   and   60   ft.  high;    built  of 

Godalming  stone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings.  Parsonage  of  yellow  brick,  cost  4,200/. 
Church  not  yet  finished. 

279.  Erected  for  the  Earl  of  Radnor. 

280.  One  of  the  very  few  instances  of  the  successful  adaptation  of  Gothic  for  commercial  purposes 

at  the  east  end  of  London.  Mr.  B urges  only  added  the  front  (18  ft.  wide),  being  limited 
to  the  floor  lines  of  an  existing  building.  It  is  constructed  of  brick,  and  decorated  with 
a  piece  of  sculpture  in  bas  relief  representing  Commerce. 

281.  Additions  to  the  residence  of  Coventry  Patmore,  Esq.,  including  an  entirely  new  front. 

The  portions  principally  studied  were  the  drawing-room  and  dining-room.  The  former 
is  lighted  by  a  bay  window.  Built  of  local  sandstone  with  tiled  roofs  and  oak  fittings. 
Frontage,  98  ft. 

282.  One  of  Mr.  Scott's  largest  and  most  important  works,  having  cost  nearly  300,000/.     It  is 

built  of  GriflYock  and  Bannockburn  stone.  The  north  frontage  is  650  ft.  ;  the  south 
frontage,  629  ft.  ;  width,  325  ft.     The  buildings  are  still  in  progress. 

233.  A  capacious  and  elaborately  detailed  structure  of  brick,  stone,  and  iron,  the  first  instance  of 

the  adaptation  of  Mediaeval  design  for  such  a  purpose  in  London.  It  is  still  in  course  of 
erection. 

234.  An  important  block  of  buildings  facing  the  Broad  Walk.     The  details  are  very  peculiar 

and  characteristic  of  the  designer's  hand,  but  much  of  the  decorative  carved  work  is  left 
unfinished,  which  greatly  detracts  from  the  general  effect.  The  works  cost  30,000/. 
(See  p.  287.) 

285.  A  lofty  church  built  of  Kentish   rag,  with  freestone  dressings.     The  nave   is  divided  into 

4  bays  by  obliquely  pointed  arches  of  wide  span.  Semicircular  apse  lighted  by  lancet 
windows.  Chancel  separated  from  chancel  aisles  by  arches  filled  with  tracery.  Arcaded 
clerestory.     Total  length  about  160  ft. 

286.  A  very  picturesque  and  ably  designed  building  treated  with  great  refinement  in  detail.     It 

can  scarcely  be  referred  to  any  particular  style,  but  bears  evidence  of  a  taste  for  French 
Gothic  of  an  early  date,  while  a  slight  Italian  element  is  represented  by  the  use  of  colour 
introduced  here  and  there  in  bands  of  red  Mansfield  and  a  greenish  local  stone,  the 
main  body  of  the  walls  being  from  Bath  quarries.  The  interior  of  the  laboratory  is  very 
ingeniously  arranged  as  to  the  timbers  of  its  roof  and  floors,  which  are  of  good  construc- 
tive purpose. 

287.  A  large  mansion  erected  for  W.  W.  Fitzwilliam  Dick,  Esq.,  M.P.     Every  portion  of  this 

building,  down  to  the  minutest  detail  of  the  fittings,  was  executed  from  designs  carefully 
worked  out  by  the  architect,  who  read  a  paper  descriptive  of  the  work,  which  has  been 
published  in  the  '  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Institute  of  British  Architects.'  General 
dimensions,   160  x  40  ft.  ;  tower  80  ft.  high.     (See  p.  362  ) 

288.  Erected  for  the  Rev.  T.  Burmingham.     This  church  has  a  narthex,  or  porch,  extending 

across  its  west  front.  Sculpture  is  introduced  round  the  west  (rose)  window  representing 
the  four  ages,  and  over  the  west  door  (St.  Michael  and  the  Dragon).  The  spire  is  of 
wood,  covered  with  oak  shingle.  Nave,  42  x  23  ft.  ;  chancel,  25  x  15  ft.  Built  of  local 
and  Bath  stone. 

289.  This  church,   though   yet  wanting  much  of  its    internal  fittings  and  decoration,  is  rich 

in  sculptured  detail,  which  has  been  carefully  designed  and  executed  with  refinement. 
The  great  internal  height  of  this  building  gives  it  a  special  character.  The  exterior 
is,  unfortunately,  under  the  disadvantage  of  being  almost  hidden  from  the  Hammer- 
smith Road  by  intervening  houses.  When  these  are  removed,  the  fine  western  doorway 
and  facade  will  be  seen.     (See  p.  349.) 


418  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

290 

1867 

Ch.  of  St.  Edward 

Windsor 

291 

1867 

Cathedral  (Elphin 
Diocese) 

Sligo,  Ireland 

292 

1867-70 

Keble  College      . 

Oxford         . 

293 

1867-68 

Ch.  of  St.  Chad    . 

Haggerston, 
London 

294 

1867-68 

The  Bank  . 

Farnham,  Surrey 

295 

1867 

Additions  to 
Cathedral 

Bristol 

296 

1867-68 

Ch.ofSt.CoIumba 

Haggerston, 
London 

297 

1867-69 

Balliol  College     . 

Oxford 

298 

1867-69 

Easneye 

Near  Ware,  Herts 

299 

1867-69 

Farnham  Royal 
Church 

Near  Windsor 

Architect 


Style 


C.  A.  Buckler     .  j  XIII.  century, 


G.  Goldie 


W.  Butterfield 


J.  Brooks 


R.  N.  Shaw 


Norman 


•  • 


Decorated 


Earl)  Pointed  . 


Old  English 


G.  E.  Street,  R  A.   Middle  Pointed 


J.  Brooks    . 


A.  Waterhouse 


Early  Pointed 


XIII.  century 


W.  E.  Nesfield 


XIII.  century 
Domestic 

Earlv  Deco- 
ra'ed 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  419 


Remarks 


290.  Erected  for  the  Rev.  A.  Applegarth.     Built  of  Kentish  rag  and  Box  Hill  stone.     Nave  of 

5  bays,  80  x  24  ft.,  with  aisles  11  ft.  wide.  Clustered  columns  and  arches  of  Painswick 
stone.  Clerestory  of  cusped  triangular  windows.  Open  timber  roof,  of  which  the  prin- 
cipals rest  on  engaged  shafts.  West  window  of  5  lights  with  geometrical  tracery.  Tn 
the  gable  above  is  a  canopied  niche  containing  a  figure  of  St.  Edward  the  Confessor. 
Lady  Chapel  at  east  end  of  south  aisle. 

291.  Remarkable  both  for  size  and  character.     Nave  and  aisles  ;  western  tower  with  flanking 

staircase  ;  turrets,  for  access  to  tiiforia  (used  for  children)  ;  transepts  ;  deep  choir  ;  semi- 
circular apsidal  sanctuary,  with  procession  aisle  and  eastern  Lady  Chapel ;  chapter 
house,  and  extensive  sacristies  adjoining.  Total  internal  length,  211  ft.  j  width  across 
transepts,  115  ft.;  internal  height,  61  ft.  Built  of  local  blue  limestone,  with  partial 
introduction  of  sandstone  from  Donegal.     Works  still  in  progress. 

292.  Built  of  local  brick  and  Bath   stone,  with  mural  bands  and   patterns  of  different  coloured 

brick,  which  constitute  the  chief  decoration  of  its  facades.     This  treatment  of  brickwork 
is  of  course  a   great  novelty  at  Oxford,  and  has  been  much  criticised.     The  details  are 
refined  and  artistic  in  design.     The  buildings  at  present  erected  enclose  the  greater  part  of 
'  a  quadrangle,  24.3  x  220  ft. 

293.  A  very  lofty  church,  faced  internally  with  brick.     It  has   a  semicircular  apse  groined  in 

brick  with  stone  ribs ;  nave  arches  of  wide  span  and  simply  moulded,  carried  on  short 
round  pillars.  Lofty  clerestory  lighted  by  4  large  windows  on  each  side.  The  south 
chapel  is  vaulted  like  the  chancel  and  forms  an  interesting  feature.     (See  p.  364.) 

294.  Bank   offices,   with    residence  above.     Erected    for   James    Knight,    Esq.     An   excellent 

example  of  the  revival  of  ancient  half-timbered  style  of  work  for  house-building.  Two 
large  bay  windows  project  from  the  first  floor,  and  are  carried  up  three  stories  in  height, 
terminating  with  gable  fronts.  A  stone  staircase  leads  from  ground  to  first  floor.  The 
chimneypieces,  grates,  and  all  internal  fittings  are  in  character  with  the  building,  and 
were  expressly  designed  for  it.  Large  chimney-shafts  of  cut  and  rubbed  Farnham  bricks 
with  carved  brick  panels. 

295.  New  nave,  north   porch,  and  western  steeples.     Constructed  of  Doulting  stone.     Works 

still  in  progress. 

296.  A  remarkably  original  and  boldly-conceived  design.     The  east  end  of  this  church,  which 

abuts  on  the  Kingsland  Road,  forms  the  sacrarium.  The  choir  is  placed  under  the 
central  tower,  which  is  groined.  The  transepts  are  short  and  barrel  vaulted.  There  are 
no  aisle  windows,  the  clerestory  being  of  lofty  proportions.  Built  of  brick,  with  stone 
piers,  &c.     (See  p.  365.) 

297.  New  front  towards  Broad  Street,  master's  house,  &c.     One  of  the  most  important  modern 

buildings  of  the  University.  Great  breadth  of  effect  gained  by  keeping  windows  small, 
and  leaving  large  masses  of  wall  surface.  Central  portion,  with  groined  entrance-porch 
below,  rises  in  a  tower-like  block  above  the  rest.  High-pitched  roof,  covered  with 
Staffordshire  tiles  and  picturesque  dormers.  Built  of  Bath  stone.  General  dimensions  : 
Broad  Street  front,  240  ft.  ;  front  towards  Trinity,  107  ft.     (See  p.  361.) 

298.  Erected  for  T.  Fowell   Buxton,  Esq.     Built  of  red  brick  and  terra  cotta,  with  tiled  roof. 

General  dimensions  :  house,  170  x  100  ft. ;  stables,  140  x  115  ft. 

299.  Nave  and  aisles  erected  on   the  site  of  an  old  church,  the  chancel  of  which   is  retained. 

Built  of  flint  and  Bath  stone.  General  dimensions,  60  x  40  ft.  This  is  a  small  but  cha- 
racteristic specimen  of  the  architect's  skill  in  design.  Proportions  good;  quiet  and 
refined  in  detail.  The  work  was  undertaken  mainly  through  the  exertions  of  H.  Vallance, 
Esq.,  who  resides  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  to  whose  house  Mr.  Nesfield  has  made  some 
important  additions.      (See  p.  345.) 


420  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


300 
301 


Date  Building 


Situation 


Architect 


Style 


1867-70 
1868 


302 


303 


304 

305 
306 


Allerton  Priory    .  |  Near  Liverpool 


Domestic  Chapel 


1868-69 


1868 


St.    Mary  of   the 
Angels 

Roundwick  Hou^e 


Exton  House, 
Oakham 


1868-70      Kingswalden  Ch. 


1868 
1868-71 


Lodges  &  cottages 
Ch.  of  St.  John    . 


307 


308 


309 


310 


311 


1868-70 


1868-70 


1868 


1S68- 


1868-70 


Huntsham  Court 


Ch.  of  St.  John 
the  Baptist 


Toddington  Ch. 


Westmoreland 
Place,  Bayswater 

Near  Petworth, 
Sussex 


A.  Waterhouse    . 
C.  A.  Buckler     . 


Hitchin,  Herts 


Broadlands,  Rom- 
sey,  Hampshire 

Torquay 


J.  F.  Bentley 
J.L.Pearson,F.S.A. 


W.  E.  Nesfield 


W.  E.  Nesfield    . 


XIII.  century 
Domestic 

XIII.  century, 
with  later 
detail 


Transitional 
XIII.  century 

Late  XIII. 
century 


XV.  century 


Old  English 
Domestic 


G.  E.  Street,  R.  A.     Early  M  iddle 
Pointed 


St.  Margaret's  Ch. 


Near  Tiverton, 
Devon 


West  Derby  Road, 
Liverpool 


Toddington  Park, 
Winchcomb, 
Gloucestershire 


Liverpool  . 


Ch.of  St.  Marv  .   !   Carlisle 


B.  Ferrey,  F  S.A. 


G.  F.  Bodlcy 


G.  E.  Street,  R.A 


G.  E.  Street,  R.A. 


E.  Christian 


Tudor 


Middle  Pointed 


Middle  Pointed 


Middle  Pointed 


Geometrical 
Point  d 


erected  between  1820  and  1870.  421 

Remarks 

300.  Erected  for  J.  Grant  Morris,  Esq.     Built  of  grey  brick,  with  local  red  sandstone  dressings. 

301.  Erected   for  the  Earl  of  Gainsborough.     Cruciform   and   apsidal    in    plan.     Built   over  a 

vaulted  crypt  of  brick,  lighted  by  windows  in  the  plinth  of  the  superstructure.  An  aide 
between  the  sanctuary  and  sacristy  opens  into  the  north  transept  ;  an  apse  at  the  end  of 
the  same  forms  the  baptistery,  over  which  rises  the  bell-cote.  The  Lady  Chapel  is  in  the 
south  transept.  The  building  is  connected  with  the  mansion  by  upper  and  lower  tribunes 
lined  with  oak  panelling. 

302.  This  work   consisted  principally  in  the   addition   of  two   chapels  and  baptistery  to  church, 

and  an  oratory  to  the  adjoining  presbytery.  The  building  materials  used  were  stone, 
brick,  and  grey  slates. 

303.  Erected  for  Captain   Penfold.     Contains  three  reception   rooms  on   ground  floor,  kitchen, 

offices,  &c,  with  large  dairy  and  farm  buildings  attached.  One  story  of  bed  rooms  over. 
This  house  is  treated  in  a  very  picturesque  manner,  and  the  local  materials  used — viz. 
stone,  brick,  tiles,  and  oak  timber — are  ingeniously  intermixed  in  the  design.  It  was  at 
first  intended  only  for  a  farm-house,  but  it  afterwards  expanded  into  a  small  residence  in 
connection  with  the  farm. 

304.  A   new  chancel  (40  x  18   ft.).     Erected   for  C.   Cholmely   Hale,  Esq.     The   nave  of  this 

church  was  restored  at  the  same  time.  Materials  used,  flint  and  '  chinch, '  with  English 
oak  for  fittings. 

305.  Erected  for  the  late  Viscountess  Palmerston.     The  entrance  lodge  is  of  half-timbered  work, 

and  is  very  elaborately  executed  in  oak. 

306.  This   church   when   completed  will  be   one  of  the  architect's   most  successful  works,  and 

certainly  one  of  the  most  notable  which  has  been  erected  in  Devonshire  during  the 
Revival.  The  chancel  is  a  very  spacious  one,  carefully  groined  in  brick,  with  stone  ribs. 
It  opens  by  two  pointed  arches  to  a  north  aisle  used  as  the  organ  chamber.  The  side 
walls  of  the  sanctuary  are  arcuated  and  richly  panelled.  A  bas  relief,  representing  the 
Crucifixion,  occupies  the  centre  of  the  reredos.  The  east  window  of  5  lights  is  filled 
with  stained  glass,  admirable  in  design  and  colour.     (See  p.  325  ) 

307.  Erected  for   C.    A.  Williams  Troyte,    Esq.     The  old  mansion,  replaced  by   the  present 

building,  was  entirely  dilapidated,  and  had  been  much  disfigured  by  modern  additions. 
General  dimensions  :  106  x  53  ft.  ;  office  wing,  60  x  30  ft  ;  entrance  tower,  18  x  18  ft., 
on  plan.  Built  of  Hamden  Hill  and  local  stone ;  roofed  with  Bridgewater  tiles  3  oak  used 
in  ceilings,  &c. 

308.  Erected  at  the  sole  cost  of  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Reade  and  Mrs.  Reade.     For  correctness  of  design, 

refined  workmanship,  and  artistic  decoration,  this  church  may  take  foremost  rank  among 
examples  of  the  Revival.  It  is  built  of  red  and  white  sandstone.  The  interior  is  sump- 
tuously decorated  with  mural  paintings,  executed  from  the  design  and  under  the  imme- 
diate superintendence  of  Mr.  E.  Kempe,  M.A.     (See  p.  369.) 

309.  In  course  of  erection  for  Lord  Sudeley.    This  church  is  mainly  remarkable  for  having  been 

executed  without  any  restriction  as  to  cost.  The  architect  has  not,  however,  multiplied 
its  merely  decorative  feature-,  but  the  walls  are  very  substantial,  and  the  mouldings 
elaborate.  The  chancel,  chancel  aisle,  tower,  and  chapel  for  monuments,  are  being 
groined.  The  nave  is  to  have  an  oak  loot.  The  masonry  throughout  is  of  wrought 
stone  from  quarries  in  the  neighbourhood. 

310.  Erected  at  the  expense  of  Robert  Horsfall,  Esq.     A  good  example  of  a  town  church  (to 

hold  1,000  people),  built  very  cheaply,  as  far  as  the  exterior  is  concerned,  in  order  to  reserve 
means  for  ensuring  an  effective  interior.  The  total  cost  of  the  church  and  clergy  home 
was  only  11,000/.     Materials  used,  brick  and  marble. 

311.  Built  of  red  and  white  sandstone,  with  marble  columns,  &c.    General  dimensions,  98  x  64  ft, 

F  F 


422  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 


312 


Date 


1868 


Building 


Leyes  Wood 


Situation 


Architect 


313 


312 


315 


1868-70 


1868-69 


1868-70 


Ch.  of  St.  Luke  . 


Near  Groom-  R.  N.  Shaw 

bridge,  Surrey 


Style 


Old  English 


Christchurch    es-  \  B.  Champneys     .      XIII.  century 
tate,       Kentish 
Town 


St.    Luke's  Par- 
sonage 

Dromore  Castle 


316      1368-70 


317 


318 


319 


320 


1868 


Christchurch, 
Kentish  Town 


Near  Pallaskenry, 
Limerick 


B.  Champneys 


E.  W.  Godwin, 
F.S.A. 


1868 


1868-70 


1868 


Ch.  of  the  Annun- 
ciation 


Convalescent 
Hospital 


GonvilleandCaius 
College 

Sunnydene . 


St.  Chad's  Schools 


Chislehurst 


Horsforth,  near 
Leeds 


Cambridge 


Rockhills, 
Sydenham 


Denstone, 
Staffordshire 


Old  English    . 


Anglo-Irish 
Geometrical 


J.  Brooks 


R.  N.  Shaw 


Early   Pointed 


Old  English 


A.  Waterhouse   . 


J.  F.  Bentley 


W.  Slater  and  R. 
H.  Carpenter 


Francois  Ie 


Tudor  and  Ja- 
cobean 


Early  Pointed 


erected  between  1820^7/1870.  423 


Remarks 


312.  Erected  for  James  W.  Temple,  Esq.,  in  the  style  of  ancient  Sussex  houses.     The  buildings 

are  grouped  on  three  sides  of  an  open  court,  the  access  to  which  i>  by  an  entrance  porch 
under  a  tower.  The  picturescpie  assemblage  of  steep  roofs,  abutting  on  each  other  in 
every  variety  of  form,  the  lofty  brick  chimney  shafts  and  the  gabled  fronts  with  their 
quaintly  carved  barge-boards,  tile-weathering,  and  mullioned  windows,  combine  to  render 
this  mansion  one  of  the  most  interesting  examples  of  the  Revival.     (See  p.  3+3.) 

313.  Erected  for  the  Rev.  C.    H.    Andrews.     The  plan   is   that  of  a  quasi-cruciform   church, 

tlie  transepts  being  formed  by  a  continuation  of  the  aisles,  'f  lie  nave  is  of  4  bays,  with 
clerestory,  lighted  by  lancet  windows.  The  chancel  is  apsidal,  lighted  by  3  windows  of 
plate  tracery.  The  tower  stands  in  piers  between  apse  and  base.  Beneath  it  are  the  choir 
stalls.  The  apse  is  groined  in  brick,  with  stone  ribs.  The  walls  are  of  red  Suffolk,  brick, 
with  stone  dressings,  columns,  &c.  General  dimensions,  127  x  60  ft.  Height  of  tower, 
1  1  5  ft. 

314.  Erected  for  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Andrews.     In   design  the  style  is  of  a  mixed  character,  being 

Gothic  in  general  grouping  and  some  details,  while  certain  features,  such  as  the  sash 
windows,  &c,  belong  to  the  '  Queen  Anne  '  period.  General  dimensions  about  44  ft. 
square. 

315.  Erected  for  the  Earl  of  Limerick.     A  well-studied  and  most  successful  work,  in  the  execu- 

tion of  which  the  architect  was  consulted  on  every  point  from  the  choice  of  site  to 
the  design  of  furniture.  It  is  rich  in  carved  work,  stained  and  painted  glass,  ornamental 
tiles,  marble  inlay,  and  decorative  painting,  a  portion  of  which  was  entrusted  to  Mr. 
H.  Marks,  A.R.A.  General  dimensions:  banquetting  hall,  56  x  30  ft.  and  36  ft.  high; 
gateway,  23  x  30  ft.  and  60  ft.  high  ;  keep  tower,  37  x  32  ft.  and  85  ft.  high.  Con- 
structed of  local  limestone  with  brick  lining. 

316.  One  of  the  architect's  most  successful  works,  remarkable  for  the  quiet  dignity  of  its  com- 

position, and  for  the  careful  study  of  its  details.  The  choir  is  placed  over  open  areas  left 
in  the  foundations,  in  order  to  insure  a  proper  effect  of  sound.  The  nave  piers  are 
round,  with  shallow  capitals  and  square  abaci,  the  arches  above  being  simply  chamfered. 
The  arches  which  enclose  the  chancel  on  the  north  and  south  sides  are  moulded  with 
great  refinement.     (See  p.  366.) 

317.  Erected  for  J.  Metcalfe  Smith,  Esq.,  as  a  memorial  to  his  father.    To  accommodate  100  patients 

besides  matron,  servants,  &c.  A  long  building  with  eight  wards  (the  largest  86  x  24.  ft. 
and  20  ft.  high),  a  centre  building  with  long  wings  extending  right  and  left,  kitchens, 
&c,  in  the  rear.  Red  brick  ground  floor  with  stone  mullions,  &c,  all  weather-tiled  above 
to  keep  the  wards  warm  and  dry.  Rooms  heated  throughout  with  hot-water  apparatus. 
An  excellent  work  and  very  characteristic  of  the  architect's  taste  in  design. 

318.  A  very  important  and  successful  work,  but  rather  too  late  in  style  to  be  properly  included 

among  examples  of  the  Gothic  revival.  General  dimensions :  Trinity  Street  front,  1 62  ft. ; 
Trinity  Lane  front,  153  ft. ;  tower,  105  ft.  high.    Built  of  Ancaster  and  Casterton  stone. 

319.  Erected  for   Richard  Sutton,  Esq.     A  well-appointed  residence,  designed  with   great  care, 

the  garden,  &c,  being  laid  out  in  a  style  corresponding  with  the  date  of  the  architecture. 
The  house  is  of  red  brick  with  stone  dressings,  and  has  a  tiled  roof.  The  internal  fittings 
are  chiefly  of  wainscot.     General  dimensions,  no  x  48  ft. 

320.  In  connection  with  St.  Nicholas's  College,  Lancing.     Planned  in  the  form  of  the  letter  H 

with  two  quadrangles  each  open  on  one  side,  measuring  respectively  200  x  160  ft.  and 
180  x  160  ft.  The  school  will  accommodate  400  boys,  and  includes  a  chapel,  dining-hall, 
large  school-room,  class  rooms,  offices,  &c,  and  eight  dormitories  for  fifty  boys  each,  with 
residences  for  masters,  &c.  The  dormitory  wings  are  three  Dorics  high  with  ranges  of 
lancet  windows.  The  principal  school-room  is  flanked  by  two  lofty  water  towers  termi- 
nating in  pyramidal  roofs.  The  grand  entrance  is  in  the  centre  under  the  school-room. 
The  chapel  and  other  portions  have  still  to  be  erected.  Materials  used,  brick  faced  with 
Alton  stone.  The  building  stands  on  the  brow  of  a  range  of  hills  overlooking  the  beau- 
tiful valley  near  Alton  Towers. 

F  F  2 


424  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings 


No. 

Date 

Building 

Situation 

Architect 

Style 

321 

1868-70 

Convent  schools,  &c. 

Battersea 

C.  A.  Buckler     . 

XIII.  century. 

322 

1868-70 

Mansion 

Seacon  Heath, 

Sussex 

W.  Slater  and  R. 
H.  Carpenter 

XIV.  century 
modified 

323 

1S68 

Church  of  St. 
Matthew 

Blackmoor,  Hants 

A.  Waterhouse   . 

XIII.  century 

324 

1868 

St.  John's  Dio- 
cesan College 

Waterford,  Ireland 

G.  Goldie   . 

Early  Pointed 

325 

1868-71 

Tower 

Cardiff  Castle       . 

W.  Burges 

XIII.  century 
French 

326 

1868 

Quy  Hall    . 

Cambridgeshire    . 

W.  White,  F.S.A. 

Manorial 
Gothic 

327 

1869-71 

Knightshayes 

Tiverton,  Devon 

W.  Burges 

XIII.  century 

323 

1869-70 

Routh  Church     . 

Near  Cardiff 

■ 

J.  Prichard  . 

Early  Geome- 
trical 

329 

1869-70 

Sir  W.  Powell's 

Almshouses 

Fulham,  near 
London 

J.  P.  Seddon 

Geometrical 
Decorated 

330 

1869 

St.  Peter's  Or- 
phanage 

Broadstairs,  Kent 

J.  P.  Seddon 

Geometrical 
Decorated 

331 

1869 

Church  of  St. 
Stephen 

The  Green, 
Hampstead 

S.  S.  Teulon 

XII.  century 
French 

erected  between  1820  and  1870.  425 


Remarks 


321.  Erected  for  the  Hon.  Mrs.  E.   Petre  and  Mrs.  B.  Shea.     Built  of  stock  bricks,  with  white 

moulded  Suffolk  bricks  for  door  and  window  jambs.  Arches  pointed  and  segmental. 
Stepped  gables  and  dormers.     Angular  chimney  shafts,  &c. 

322.  Erected  for  the  Right  Hon.  G.  I.  Goschen,  M.P.     The  principal  feature  in  this  structure 

is  the  hall,  42  ft.  square  in  plan  and  reaching  the  entire  height  of  the  house:  open  galleries 
give  access  to  rooms  on  each  floor.  The  house  itself  is  nearly  square,  being  90  x  80  ft. 
with  a  range  of  office  buildings  at  the  north-east  angle  j  height  from  ground  to  parapet, 
44  ft.     Built  of  local  stone. 

323.  Erected  for  Sir  Roundell  Palmer,  Q.C.     General  dimensions  :   120x30  ft.  ;  tower,  no  ft. 

high.  Built  of  local  stone  with  Bath  stone  dressings.  Open  roof  of  single  span,  tiled. 
Internally  the  walls  are  of  ashlar  lined  with  tiles  to  a  certain  height. 

324.  Modified  to  suit  modern  requirements.     This  is  the  first  college  erected  in  Ireland  of  this 

character  in  design  (with  the  exception  of  part  of  Maynooth  College  by  the  late  A.  W. 
Pugin).  The  plan  includes  a  spacious  library,  refectory,  cloistered  quadrangle,  and  a 
large  college  chapel,  besides  the  usual  class  and  lecture-rooms,  &c.  The  site  is  remark- 
ably fine,  overlooking  the  town  of  Waterford  and  the  adjacent  mountain  ranges. 
General  dimensions  :  facade,  150  ft.  long  and  57  ft.  high  ;  quadrangle,  80  x  70  ft.  Built 
of  local  blue  limestone  and  sandstone. 

325.  In  course  of  erection  for  the  Marquis  of  Bute.     A  very  carefully  designed  work,  which  will 

include  when  finished  many  rich  details  of  sculpture  and  decorative  painting.  The 
tower  is  25  ft.  square  on  plan,  and  130  ft.  high.     It  is  built  of  local  stone.    (See  p.  355.) 

326.  Erected  for  Clement  Francis,  Esq.     Built  of  thin  bricks  (red  and  buff"  in  colour).     General 

dimensions,  130  x  40  ft. 

327.  In  course  of  erection  for  J.  H.  Amory,  Esq.,  M.P.     A  large  and  important  work,  executed 

with  great  spirit  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  detail.  Hall,  40  x  24  ft.  ;  staircase, 
23  x  20  ft.  ;  dining-room,  38  x  21  ft.  Built  of  local  stone  for  walling  with  Ham  Hill 
dressings.  Shafts  of  Devonshire  marble  are  used  for  the  interior.  The  hall  has  an  open 
timber  roof  with  a  minstrels1  gallery,  &c.  The  grand  staircase  is  of  teak.  Iron  window 
casements  are  employed.      (See  p.  356.) 

328.  Erected  at  the  cost  of  the   Marquis  of  Bute.     The   design   was  adapted    to   foundations 

planned  and  laid  by  another  architect  (Mr.  Roos).  The  tower  and  spire  have  yet  to 
be  completed.  Built  of  Pennant  stone,  with  dressings  of  Bath,  red  limestone,  &c. 
For  the  screens,  sedilia,  pulpit,  and  reredos  the  local  (Pennarth)  alabaster  was  chiefly 
used.     Total  length  internally  82  ft.     Across  transepts,  69  ft.  ;  length  of  nave,  51  ft. 

329.  A  picturesque  row  of  almshouses,  two  stories  high,  intersected  by  gablets  carried  up  over 

first-floor  windows,  which  have  pointed  heads  filled  with  tracery.  The  ground  floor  has 
bay  windows  and  projecting  porches.  These  are  both  included  under  one  line  of  roof, 
which  runs  the  whole  length  of  the  building.  The  tower-like  feature  with  a  saddle- 
back roof  at  one  end  of  the  row  greatly  helps  the  composition.  General  dimensions, 
200  x  22  ft.  Built  of  York  stone  with  Camden  stone  dressings  :  the  roof  is  covered 
with  Broseley  tiles. 

330.  Erected  for  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  Mrs.  Tait,  at  a  cost  of  about  10,000/.    The 

principal  elevation  is  simply  but  effectively  treated.  General  dimensions,  130x50  ft. 
and  60  ft.  high.     Built  of  flint  with  red  brick,  and  Doulting  stone  dressings. 

331.  This  church,  which  is  built  for  a  congregation  of  1,000  persons,  has  a  nave  (90  x  26  ft.), 

aisles,  apsidal  chancel  (groined,  with  a  vaulted  crypt  below),  and  a  central  tower. 
These  parts,  as  seen  from  the  road,  groxip  admirably  together.  The  apse  is  richly 
decorated  with  mosaic,  and  is  lighted  by  lancet  windows  filled  with  plate  tracery  of 
varied  form.  The  aisles,  which  have  rather  flat  roofs,  are  lighted  by  square-headed 
mullioned  windows.  The  intrados  of  the  chancel  arch  is  corbelled  out  from  panelled 
blocks  richly  carved.  The  open  timbered  roof  over  nave  is  of  excellent  design  and 
proportions.  The  we.-t  porch  with  its  long  front  and  triple  archway  is  very  effective. 
Materials  used  :  brick,  stone,  granite,  &C.     (See  p.  368.) 


426  Selected  Examples  of  Gothic  Buildings. 


No. 


332 
333 

334 


335 
336 
337 


338 
339 


3iO 


Date 


1869 
1869 

1869 

1869 
1869-70 
1869-71 


1869 
1870 


1870 


Building 


Situation 


Church  of  St. 

Michael 

Glenbegh  Tower; 


New  Town  Hall , 


The    '  Bourne  ' 
Schools 

Tutor's  House 

Charterhouse 
Schools 


Ch.  of  St.  Mark 

Additions    to 
Eaton  Hall 


Church  of  St. 
Augustine 


341      1870-71      Preen. 


342 


343 


1870 


1870 


St.  Andrew's 


Convent  of  Our 


Lady 


Bishop's  Stortford, 
Hertfordshire 

Glenbegh,  Co. 
Kerry,  Ireland 

Manchester 


Farnham,  Surrey 

Eton  College 

Near  Godalming, 
Surrey 


Belgrave  Road, 
Leicester 

Cheshire 


Architect 


Style 


Queen's  Gate, 
S.  Kensington 


Near  Wenlock, 
Shropshire 

Bridgewater, 

Somerset 


Chichester 


J.  Clarke,  F.S.A.      XV.  century 
E.  W   Godwin,        Anglo-Irish 


F.S.A. 


Geometrical 


A.  Waterhouse    .      XIII.  century 


B.  Champneys     .      XVI.  century 
W.White, F.S.A.1   English  Do- 


P.  C.  Hardwick, 
F.S.A. 


mest  it- 


Middle  Pointed 


E.  Christian 


A.  Waterhouse 


W.  Butterfield     . 


Geometrical 
Decorated 

XIII.  century 


R.  N.  Shaw 


J.  Norton 


C.  A.  Buckler      . 


Early  Deco- 
rated 


Shropshire 
Half-timbered 


Tudor 


XIII.  century 


erected  between  1820  <?//</ 1870.  427 


Remarks 


332.  Built  of  flint  and  stone.      It  contains   1,000  sittings,  and    has   no  galleries.     This  work 

was  to  some  extent  a  restoration,  but  new  additions  were  also  made. 

333.  Erected  for  the  Hon.  Rowland  Winn.     Built  of  local  sandstone  and  brick  lining.     General 

dimensions:  76  x  39  ft.,  or  including  courtyards  and  out-buildings,  131  x  85  ft.  ;  height 
of  main  roof,  66  ft.  ;  of  tower,  114  ft. 

334.  In   course  of  erection.     Built  of  stone  from  the  neighbourhood   of  Bradford.      General 

dimensions  :  Princess  Street  front,  373  ft. ;  Albert  Square  front,  306  ft.  ;  Lloyd  Street 
front,  336  ft.  ;  height  of  principal  tower,  260  ft.  from  street  level.  (For  illustrations,  see 
'Building  News,'  May  8,  1868  ;  *  Builder/  May  2,  1868  ;  and  'Architect,1  July  31, 
1869.) 

335.  Erected  for  the  Ven.    Archdeacon    Allerton.       Lower  story  of  brick;  upper   'half  tim- 

bered, '  with  tiles  and  plaster.     Length,  44  ft,  ;  breadth,  20  ft. ;  height  26  ft 

336.  Erected  for  G.  G.  Marindin,  Esq.     General  dimensions  ;  136  x  100  ft.     Built  of  red  brick. 

337.  Proposed  to  consist  of  several  separate  buildings,  each  complete  in  itself,  but  so  arranged 

as  to  form  an  architectural  group.  The  centre  building,  in  which  a  clock  tower  will  be 
the  conspicuous  feature,  is  the  '  Gown  Boys'  '  house,  having  on  the  north  side  the  head 
master's  house,  and  on  the  south  side  the  chapel  and  second  master's  house.  The 
school  buildings  are  in  the  rear  of  the  Gown  Boys'  house  with  cloisters  for  access  to  them 
from  the  different  houses.  General  dimensions:  Head  master's  house,  80x150  ft.; 
frontage  of  Gown  Boys'  house,  270  ft.  The  buildings  occupy  an  area  of  about  350  ft. 
square.     Constructed  of  Bargate  stone,  with  Bath  stone  dressings. 

338.  Erected  for  W.  Perry  Henick,  Esq.     Built  of  slate-stone  walling  with  Bath  dressings  and 

brick  lining.      Marble  shafts  and  oak  fittings.     General  dimensions,  106  x  84  ft. 

339.  This  work,  undertaken  for    the    Marquis   of  Westminster,   consists  of  extensive    altera- 

tions in  the  main  building,  such  as  removing  the  pointed  traceried  windows  (some 
of  which  were  of  cast  iron)  throughout  the  entire  building,  and  substituting  for  the  most 
part  square-headed  windows  ;  removing  old  pinnacles  and  portions  of  the  sham  groining 
and  sham  buttresses,  making  the  roofs  visible  internally,  &c.  Many  additions 
are  also  being  carried  out,  viz.  a  new  library,  90x30  ft.,  with  guests'  rooms  over; 
a  private  wing  ;  a  chapel  with  lofty  tower ;  and  general  rearrangement  of  stables. 
Masonry  of  Manley  stone. 

340.  This  church  when  completed  will  be  one  of  the  most  original  works  yet   designed  by  the 

architect.  The  treatment  of  the  west  end  is  very  peculiar,  the  elevation  presenting  a 
rectangular  composition  instead  of  the  usual  gabled  form.  It  is  surmounted  by  a 
massive  belfry.  Spacious  nave  with  bold  arcade  and  lofty  clerestory.  Cylindrical  piers 
of  white  and  red  stone  in  alternate  blocks.  Walls  of  stone  and  brick,  arranged  in  bands 
and  enriched  with  tiles.     Open  timbered  roof  of  simple  type.     Chancel  not  yet  built. 

341.  In  course  of  erection  for  Arthur  Sparrow,  Esq.    An  extension  of  a  small  house  which  was 

originally  a  cell  attached  to  Wenlock  Abbey.  Constructed  of  local  walling  stone,  with 
Longner  stone  for  dressings  :  weather-tiling,  timber,  &c. 

342.  This  work  consists  in  the  remodelling  and  alteration  of  a  mansion  for  Sir  A.  Acland  Hood, 

Bart.  The  new  front  is  faced  with  dressed  Williton  sandstone  lined  with  brick.  The 
roof  is  covered  with  Staffordshire  tiles.     General  dimensions,  176  x  150  ft. 

343.  Erected  for  the  Carmelite  nuns.     These  buildings  are  ranged  on  3  sides  of  a  quadrangular 

cloister.  The  entrance  hall  and  strangers'  rooms  occupy  the  north  front.  The  choir 
and  chapter  room  are  in  the  east  wing ;  the  recreation  room,  refectory,  and  offices  in 
the  west.  The  exterior  presents  a  picturesque  composition  of  simple  but  effective  cha- 
racter.    Built  of  brick,  with  Bosham  white  moulded  bricks  for  door  and  window  jambs. 


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